Punjab Police Bust Interstate Cybercrime Racket, 38 Arrested
Interstate cyber fraud racket dismantled in Punjab, massive seizure of laptops, phones, and cash.
PHAGWARA (Punjab), Sept 19: In a major crackdown, Punjab Police on Friday busted an interstate cyber fraud racket, arresting 38 individuals from a resort during a coordinated raid, officials confirmed.
The operation, conducted jointly by the Kapurthala Cyber Cell and Phagwara city police on Thursday night, led to the apprehension of men and women involved in online scams targeting victims abroad.
The accused hail from multiple states, including Punjab, Delhi, Nagaland, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal, Haryana, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra. Police said the group defrauded people in the United States and Canada by posing as providers of software solutions and hacking electronic devices of unsuspecting users.
The mastermind reportedly leased the resort to operate the illegal call centre and employed several individuals to run the fraudulent operations.
An FIR was registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act, covering charges of cheating and cyber fraud.
During the raid, authorities recovered 40 laptops, 67 mobile phones, and cash worth Rs 10 lakh.
