PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
Uttarakhand police conducted a coordinated crackdown across 17 States for 42 days in which 23 special teams identified over 50 cybercrime suspects and issued notices at the homes of more than 30 absconders.
This is the first time a State police force executed such a large-scale simultaneous action against cyber offenders across the country, said Ankush Mishra, the deputy superintendent of police of Dehradun cyber crime police unit of Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF).
He informed that launched under the directive of director general of police Deepam Seth, Operation Prahar involved the deployment of cybercrime teams from Garhwal and Kumaon divisions.
The STF SSP Navneet Bhullar instructed cyber police stations to conduct raids and gather digital evidence. Mishra devised the operational strategy, which was implemented by inspectors Tribhuvan Rautela and Arun Kumar, heading the Garhwal and Kumaon cyber police units, respectively. Mishra said that the 42-day operation covered states including Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Karnataka and Goa. Trained cyber commandos, equipped with technical skills and I4C training also supported the campaign.
He said that teams coordinated with local police and technical agencies to track suspects using addresses, mobile numbers, bank details and social media profiles. They identified 225 individuals who had opened bank accounts or secured mobile numbers using false documents. Seven cybercriminals lodged in various jails were taken on remand through B-warrants and six others received bailable warrants.
Notices were pasted at the residences of 30 absconders to inform families of pending actions, the DSP said. He informed that the operation revealed that many suspects had used forged identities and operated in organised networks. It also posed logistical and communication challenges due to language barriers, geographic constraints and regional differences. One accused individual was reported deceased during the course of the investigation, he said.
The DSP stated that overall, the operation led to action against more than 290 individuals and the Operation Prahar will continue as part of an ongoing campaign to counter cybercrime, with teams still active across several states. The STF aims to reinforce coordination among state agencies and intensify efforts to curb digital frauds. He also urged the public to report cybercrimes through the 1930 helpline or www.cybercrime.gov.in.
