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West Bengal has stepped up its crackdown on organised cybercrime with the launch of Operation Cyber Prahar, a statewide operation aimed at identifying and disrupting cybercrime hotspots and networks allegedly involved in cyber fraud.
The operation is being led by the S4C and the West Bengal Cyber Crime Wing and is based on actionable intelligence gathered on cybercrime activities across the state. Authorities are focusing not only on alleged perpetrators but also on the broader ecosystem that enables fraudulent transactions and operations.
107 Arrests, 69 FIRs in Seven Days
The Cyber Crime Wing said 69 FIRs were registered and 107 people arrested during the first seven days of Operation Cyber Prahar.
Of the 107 arrests, 40 were made directly by the West Bengal Cyber Crime Wing, with these arrests reflected under the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate. The total amount involved in the alleged fraudulent transactions has been estimated at Rs 92.664 crore.
The figures underline the scale of the coordinated operation, which is being conducted across different parts of West Bengal to target suspected cyber-fraud networks.
Fake Call Centres Raided
As part of the crackdown, enforcement teams have also raided three fake call centres allegedly linked to cyber-fraud networks.
The raids were carried out at different locations across West Bengal, including areas falling under the jurisdiction of the Kolkata Police.
The action against fake call centres forms part of the wider strategy to dismantle the infrastructure allegedly used to execute fraudulent calls and transactions.
Focus Shifts From Individuals to Cybercrime Infrastructure
A key feature of Operation Cyber Prahar is its focus on the wider infrastructure supporting cyber fraud. Investigators are examining the financial and logistical channels allegedly used by cybercrime networks rather than limiting the action to individual suspects.
The operation is targeting several points that may allegedly be used to route or facilitate fraudulent transactions, including:
Mule and beneficiary bank accounts
Suspicious ATM and cash-withdrawal points
Bank branches linked to suspected transactions
POS and SIM-issuance points
Other locations allegedly connected to cyber-fraud networks
According to the Cyber Crime Wing, the coordinated action is intended to identify the networks behind cyber fraud and disrupt the channels through which allegedly fraudulent transactions are routed.
Statewide Crackdown to Continue
The Cyber Crime Wing said Operation Cyber Prahar will continue across West Bengal as part of sustained action against organised cybercrime and the ecosystem supporting it. The operation is designed to target not only alleged perpetrators but also financial accounts, communication channels and other infrastructure allegedly used to facilitate cyber fraud.
With 107 arrests and 69 FIRs recorded in its first week, the operation marks a coordinated push by West Bengal authorities to tackle cybercrime networks at multiple levels—from suspected fraudsters and fake call centres to bank accounts, cash-withdrawal points, SIM issuance and other logistical channels.
