The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau has arrested 101 people, including 18 women, and traced fraudulent transactions worth approximately Rs 17 crore in a coordinated cybercrime operation conducted across six states and Union Territories in South India.
The two-week operation began on September 23 and covered Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Puducherry. Investigators targeted individuals and networks allegedly involved in cyber-enabled financial crimes, including the movement of fraudulent funds through mule bank accounts.
According to the Bureau, the arrests are linked to 51 cases registered across seven TGCSB Cyber Crime Police Stations. The accused include 35 people from Kerala, 22 from Andhra Pradesh, 17 from Karnataka, 14 from Tamil Nadu, 12 from Telangana and one from Puducherry.
Investigators identified 19 of those arrested as alleged agents or intermediaries and 81 as mule account holders. The Bureau said mobile phones, SIM cards, bank passbooks and cheque books allegedly used in fraudulent transactions were seized during the operation.
The investigation has so far traced 1,172 cybercrime links across India, including 206 links connected to Telangana. The Bureau said 50 of the 101 accused had more than five crime links across the country, indicating the scale of the networks allegedly involved in the cases.
The arrests were made through coordinated action across state boundaries. The Bureau said the accused came from different age groups, professions and educational backgrounds. About 82 per cent of those arrested were between 20 and 50 years old, while 17 per cent were above 50.
Business and self-employment accounted for the largest occupational group, at 23 per cent. Private employment accounted for 13 per cent, followed by housewives or homemakers at 10 per cent, drivers and operators at seven per cent, and sales and marketing professionals at five per cent.
The Bureau’s education profile showed that 26 per cent of those arrested had Intermediate-level education, while 24 per cent were graduates or degree holders. Another 16 per cent had secondary education, 11 per cent were uneducated and seven per cent had Diploma or ITI qualifications.
TGCSB also identified accused persons with professional qualifications and employment backgrounds who were allegedly involved in facilitating the movement of cybercrime proceeds. The Bureau’s findings connect the cases to a network operating across multiple jurisdictions and relying on bank accounts used to route fraudulent funds.
The investigation remains linked to the 51 registered cases, with the Bureau continuing to examine the traced cybercrime links and the alleged roles of the arrested individuals.
