Authorities in Nuh district have arrested a total of 40 individuals over the past 48 hours in connection with multiple cases of cyber fraud reported across the country. As of late Sunday evening, March 31, police continued to conduct raids in various parts of the district.
This crackdown marks the largest operation against cybercriminals since the arrest of 66 individuals in a similar operation conducted by approximately 5,000 police personnel across 14 villages in April last year. Nuh has gained notoriety as the ‘new Jamtara’, drawing parallels to the small town in Jharkhand known for its involvement in online frauds, even inspiring a plot for a Netflix series.
According to officers involved in the operation, the recent arrests were facilitated with the assistance of the Integrated Cyber Crime Coordination Centre’s (i4C) ‘Pratibimb’ app. This application allows for the real-time tracking of a fraudster’s phone location.
State Police Chief Shatrujeet Kapur revealed that information from the Pratibimb app identified the locations of 594 cyber frauds statewide. Of these, 101 cases (18 per cent) were traced to areas in and around Nuh and the neighbouring town of Alwar in Rajasthan. The real-time location data of the accused, along with their phone numbers, was shared with local police and the cyber-crime coordination centre in Panchkula.
In one of the largest ops against cyber crime, The Haryana police have arrested 42 cyber criminals in two days in Nuh, Mewat, in connection with several nationwide cyber fraud cases. The accused include Deen Mohammad, Asif, Arif, Sarfaraz, Saqib, Ijaz, and Munajir.
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The raids, initiated on Saturday, March 30 are still ongoing, indicating a concerted effort by law enforcement to combat cybercrime in the region.
During the raids, law enforcement bodies recovered a cache of incriminating evidence, including multiple SIM cards and forged Aadhaar cards. A total of 50 cellphones and 90 SIM cards obtained through fraudulent means were seized from the accused. Rai emphasised that authorities would cross-reference the recovered data with records stored in the Integrated Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) to determine the extent of their involvement in other cases.
According to Kishan Kumar, a spokesperson for the Nuh police, the arrested youths employed various tactics to deceive their victims. These tactics included morphing images captured during video calls, posting fake advertisements, engaging in sextortion, and enticing individuals to invest in fraudulent schemes promising high returns. Some even resorted to circulating bogus ads on social media platforms, offering items such as cows for sale or work-from-home opportunities.
As of Sunday evening, 18 cases have been registered against the arrested individuals under sections 419 (cheating by impersonation), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security or will), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), and 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of the Indian Penal Code.
The arrests mark a significant breakthrough in the fight against cybercrime in the region and serve as a warning to those engaged in illegal activities. Authorities are continuing their investigations to apprehend other members of the cyber fraud ring and ensure justice for the victims.
