THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The police on Thursday launched Operation CY-Hunt, a special drive intended to arrest individuals involved in organised cyber financial frauds, and conducted raids in multiple locations in all districts.
This is the second time the police have launched such a special drive. Sources told TNIE that the cyber division had identified about 1,600 spots across the state where the cyber financial criminals were located. The identification was done after the police obtained data regarding the suspects from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and the raids in these locations will continue for a few more days, sources added.
The cyber division had information about individuals, who were part of cyber financial fraud rackets, which have roots across the country. Sources added that details of those Keralites involved in cases registered in other states were also garnered by the sleuths.
The ongoing raids, sources added, revealed that despite crackdowns, the cyber financial fraudsters still helped rackets withdraw the swindled money using their ATM cards and cheques. Youths, who had rented out their bank accounts to fraudsters to be used as mule accounts, were also identified prior to the commencement of the special drive, sources added.
In the first edition of CY-Hunt, the police had arrested 263 people and registered 382 cases across the. As many as 714 raids were carried across the state and 88 electronic devices were seized for analysis.
The cyber wing then had information on 3,709 suspects involved in fraud, including 2,683 individuals suspected of withdrawing illegally obtained money using cheques, and 361 people who withdrew money through ATMs, besides 665 mule account holders.
About 1,600 spots with criminals identified
Sources told TNIE that the cyber division had identified about 1,600 spots across the state where the criminals were located. The identification was done after the police obtained data regarding the suspects from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal