The Punjab Police have dismantled a nationwide ₹92-crore “digital arrest” scam after coordinated raids across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Gujarat. The crackdown, led by the SAS Nagar Cyber Crime Police, has identified ten members from two organised criminal networks.
According to an official press release, six individuals have been arrested so far, while two suspects are currently in jail and will be brought on production warrants. Two more remain absconding and are actively being pursued.
Modus Operandi: Fear, Intimidation, and Fake Law Enforcement
The scam’s blueprint involved fraudsters impersonating senior police officials, CBI officers, or other law enforcement authorities via phone calls. Victims were falsely accused of involvement in fabricated criminal cases and threatened with a so-called “digital arrest” — a psychological confinement where targets are coerced into transferring large sums to accounts controlled by the syndicate.
Investigations revealed that the gangs had targeted victims across multiple states, siphoning off nearly ₹92 crore. Of this, ₹3 crore was defrauded from residents of SAS Nagar alone.
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FIRs, Frozen Accounts, and Bengaluru Link
The case stems from two FIRs registered at Police Station Cyber Crime, Phase-7. So far, authorities have frozen or closed 310 bank accounts linked to the scam. Police have also connected the suspects to a ₹12.5-crore fraud registered at a police station in Northeast Division, Bengaluru, under Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act.
Four-Month Cybercrime Crackdown
The breakthrough comes as part of an intensive four-month campaign by the SAS Nagar Cyber Crime Police to combat organised cyber fraud. In this period, police have:
- Busted six illegal call centres
- Arrested 41 suspects, including seven foreign nationals
- Recovered laptops, mobile phones, SIM cards, ATM cards, and multiple bank accounts
- Solved a honey trap case with three arrests
- Arrested the mastermind of a fake recruitment racket that duped 25 people with false Railway job offers
- Refunded ₹4.12 crore to victims in various cases
- Prevented scams worth ₹2 crore through timely alerts to banks
Police Vow to Dismantle Networks and Recover Funds
SSP Harmandeep Singh Hans emphasised that the operation went beyond arrests, reflecting the Punjab Police’s firm commitment to protecting citizens from cybercrime. He pledged continued efforts to dismantle such networks, recover victims’ funds, and ensure that every perpetrator is brought to justice.
