Uttarakhand Police raid multiple locations across 17 states in cyber crime cases

The Uttarakhand Police launched a massive campaign named Operation Prahar to tackle cybercrime across India. On Tuesday, the state police announced that 23 special teams raided several locations in 17 states. The goal was to take action against more than 50 people involved in cyber fraud. They also put up legal notices outside the homes of over 30 people who had been missing and were believed to be part of cyber fraud networks.

Senior Superintendent of Police Navneet Singh said this was the first time any state police force had carried out such a wide-scale, planned operation against cyber criminals. He added that the action sent a strong message to all cyber offenders in the country that they could not escape the law anymore. He called it a major step in fighting cybercrime and said the campaign was not only helping arrest the accused but also building better coordination with other state police forces.

The teams from cybercrime police stations in Dehradun and Rudrapur worked with local police and other cyber units. They also collaborated with technical agencies to collect important information. This included the accused persons’ addresses, phone numbers, bank accounts, social media accounts, and digital proof. The teams confirmed the identity of 52 people who had been hiding for a long time and served them legal notices.

In cases where cyber criminals had already been caught by other police forces and were in jail, the Uttarakhand Police got B-warrants (legal permission for custody) for seven of them. These were required so they could question them more. In addition, six other people with bailable warrants were also located and those warrants were carried out as ordered by the court.

Huge losses in 2024 spark large-scale action

According to police data, cybercriminals caused major losses to people in Uttarakhand. In just one year, the amount lost due to cybercrime increased by a shocking 146%. In 2023, the amount lost was ₹69 crore. By 2024, it had jumped to ₹170 crore. This was mainly because of a spike in cases of digital arrest scams and fake investment schemes. On average, cybercriminals cheated people in Uttarakhand out of over ₹46.57 lakh every day.

The police found that 225 people involved in cybercrime had opened bank accounts and bought mobile numbers using fake identities. They used fake names, addresses, and false documents. The police shared this data with their counterparts in other states to take further steps.

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Back in April, the Uttarakhand Police Special Task Force (STF) created special teams to visit 28 states and union territories. These teams were given the task of acting against 337 cybercriminals who had been identified in over 200 cases. This campaign is being run in two parts. In the first part, action is being taken against 272 cybercriminals. In the second part, another 65 will be targeted.

Here’s a list of how many cybercriminals were found in each state or region:

• 40 in Delhi

• 38 in Maharashtra

• 28 in Uttar Pradesh

• 28 in Rajasthan

• 25 in Tamil Nadu

• 18 in West Bengal

• 17 in Karnataka

• 16 in Gujarat

• 15 in Nagaland

• 14 in Madhya Pradesh

• 11 in Telangana

• 10 in Kerala

• 10 in Andhra Pradesh

• 9 in Bihar

• 8 in Haryana

• 7 in Punjab

• 6 in Assam

• 6 in Manipur

• 5 each in Mizoram, Jharkhand, and Goa

• 4 in Odisha

• 3 each in Chhattisgarh and Delhi NCR

• 2 in Tripura

• 1 each in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand

Police officials say they are determined to crack down hard on cybercrime. The nationwide effort under Operation Prahar aims not only to catch the accused but also to uncover how cybercriminals operate. Many of these criminals were found using social media, fake job offers, and links shared on messaging apps to trick people into giving away money or personal information.

The Uttarakhand Police have asked people to stay alert and not share personal details or financial information online. They have also urged citizens to report any suspicious activity immediately. The police believe that strong legal action, better use of technology, and cooperation between states will help reduce cybercrime significantly in the coming years.