The Delhi Police announced the arrest of 916 individuals in connection with various online frauds and cybercrimes as part of Operation CyHawk 5.0. Joint Commissioner of Police (Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations) Rajneesh Gupta told the media that the two-day nationwide operation commenced on June 16. During the drive, 715 teams conducted coordinated operations across 21 states and Union Territories, including Delhi.
Authorities seized 105 laptops, 757 mobile phones, a car, and cash worth nearly Rs 21 lakh. Two Nigerian nationals were also apprehended, and deportation proceedings have been initiated against them. The police noted that most communication and financial transactions linked to these cases occurred through online platforms, particularly Telegram and WhatsApp channels. The operation specifically targeted organized cybercrime networks involved in financial fraud, phishing attacks, digital scams, and other forms of online deception.
The cumulative fraud amount linked to the complaints is approximately Rs 700 crore, underscoring the massive scale of cybercrime affecting victims nationwide. The raids focused on dismantling two critical pillars of cybercrime: mule account networks and distributors of malicious APK files. Mule accounts continue to serve as the financial backbone of cyber fraud, with fraudsters often luring vulnerable individuals through fake work-from-home offers and commission-based schemes to open bank accounts and hand over control to criminals.
More than 3,600 individuals linked to mule account operations were rounded up during the crackdown, and over 2,300 cybercrime complaints were found to be connected to such accounts. The operation also targeted distributors of malicious mobile applications, which are increasingly used to secretly intercept one-time passwords (OTPs) and facilitate financial fraud and unauthorized transactions.
