In one of the largest coordinated crackdowns on rural cyber fraud modules in western Uttar Pradesh, police arrested 34 alleged cyber criminals during a five-hour pre-dawn search operation in Janghawali and Vishambhara villages of Shergarh. Despite the heavy deployment, 45 suspects managed to escape through rooftops and agricultural fields and are being tracked through follow-up raids.
Massive Operation Details
The operation, codenamed Bajrang, involved nearly 250 personnel drawn from multiple police stations, PAC units and four circle-level teams. Both villages were sealed from all sides before teams moved in for house-to-house searches. Around 85 premises were checked, triggering panic among suspects, several of whom attempted to flee by jumping across terraces or running towards forested patches.
Seizures and Syndicate Structure
Police said the raids led to the seizure of more than a dozen fake Aadhaar cards, over three dozen mobile phones, four motorcycles and a car. The confiscated digital devices will undergo forensic analysis to identify fraud scripts, bank account linkages, call records and potential victims across states.
Investigators believe the arrested individuals were part of a structured cyber fraud syndicate operating through village-level modules. Each unit allegedly handled specific roles such as arranging SIM cards, placing fraudulent calls, managing mule bank accounts and withdrawing cash. The decentralised structure enabled quick movement and helped the network evade detection during earlier enforcement efforts.
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Fraud Methods and Intelligence Build-up
Preliminary interrogation suggests the group targeted victims through OTP fraud, fake loan approvals, KYC update calls, investment scams and other call-based deception techniques. Fake identity documents were used to obtain SIM cards and open bank accounts, while funds were rapidly withdrawn in cash to avoid digital trails.
The villages had been identified as cyber fraud hotspots through sustained monitoring on the national cybercrime tracking system and the Pratibimb analytics platform. For nearly a month, investigators analysed suspicious mobile activity, transaction patterns and IP logs before planning the coordinated search.
Arrest Breakdown and Follow-up Action
According to police data, 11 suspects were arrested from Janghawali while 17 escaped, whereas 23 were detained in Vishambhara and 28 fled. Special teams have been formed to locate the absconders, with raids underway at known hideouts and suspected safe houses.
During the searches, some resistance was reported from family members, which was handled by women police personnel. Officials maintained that the operation followed due legal procedure and local administrative authorities had been informed in advance.
Legal Charges and Investigation Scope
Cases are being registered under organised crime provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with charges related to cyber fraud, cheating, forgery and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act. Bank accounts linked to the accused are being examined and steps are being taken to freeze suspected mule accounts used for routing fraud proceeds.
Police officials said the syndicate functioned through layered operational cells, allowing members to specialise in specific tasks while minimising direct exposure to victims. This compartmentalised model, coupled with frequent handset changes and cash withdrawals, made earlier detection difficult.
The crackdown follows a similar operation in December in the Govardhan area, where 37 cyber offenders were arrested and several wanted suspects were later apprehended after armed encounters. Authorities indicated that sustained pressure on identified hotspot villages would continue as part of a long-term enforcement strategy.
Forensic Analysis and Public Warnings
Digital evidence recovered in the current operation — including call detail records, messaging logs, device fingerprints and banking trails — is being analysed to map interstate linkages and identify higher-level coordinators. Investigators suspect that the rural modules may be connected to handlers operating from other districts or states.
Police have appealed to the public not to share OTPs, banking details or KYC information over unsolicited calls and to report suspicious communications through the national cybercrime helpline or online portal. Awareness campaigns are also being planned in nearby areas to reduce victim vulnerability.
Authorities said further arrests are likely once the forensic examination of seized devices is completed. Teams have been tasked with locating the absconding suspects and initiating attachment proceedings against properties acquired through alleged fraud proceeds.
Post-operation, surveillance has been intensified in the affected belt, with tenant verification drives, monitoring of new SIM procurement and scrutiny of unusual digital transaction patterns. Officials said sustained enforcement and financial tracking would be critical to dismantling entrenched rural cyber fraud ecosystems and curbing the growing volume of online financial crime.
About the author – Ayesha Aayat is a law student and contributor covering cybercrime, online frauds, and digital safety concerns. Her writing aims to raise awareness about evolving cyber threats and legal responses.
