Delhi Police crack down on cyber fraud; over 4,400 held in Operation CyHawk

Delhi Police carried out a sweeping two-day crackdown under Operation CyHawk, detaining over 4,400 suspects and disrupting major cyber fraud networks across the capital

The Delhi Police have detained more than 4,400 suspects and arrested or bound down 877 of them during a two-day crackdown on cybercrime, officials said on Friday. 

The operation, named Operation CyHawk, was carried out in close coordination with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Union Home Ministry. The operation focused on dismantling cyber fraud networks, tracking mule accounts, targeting cash-withdrawal agents, and shutting down illegal call centres across the city. 

Police described the initiative as a significant move away from “reactive action” and towards “proactive disruption” of cybercrime groups. 

In total, 4,467 people were picked up for questioning, of whom 877 were either arrested or bound down after investigators examined technical evidence, financial transactions and other corroborating details, an official said. 

Additionally, 509 individuals received notices under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) for their suspected involvement in cyber-fraud operations.

 

Financial trails exceeding ₹1,000 crore traced

 

Investigators have uncovered money trails linking more than ₹1,000 crore to mule accounts tied to organised cyber syndicates operating from Delhi, according to Rajneesh Gupta, Joint Commissioner of Police (Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations).

 

The two-day drive also resulted in 360 new FIRs and progress in 160 ongoing cybercrime cases.

 

Links to thousands of complaints found

 

During the operation, police connected more than 3,700 complaints filed on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) to identified mule accounts and suspicious mobile numbers.

 

Several illegal call centres involved in job frauds, investment scams, customer-care impersonation, and tech-support scams were raided and shut down under Operation CyHawk.

 

The police also recovered mobile phones, laptops, hard drives, SIM cards, financial records, and other incriminating material.

 

Further investigations are currently underway.