Dehradun: The Uttarakhand Police Special Task Force (STF) has launched a major drive against cybercriminals and their networks. During Operation Hotspot, conducted from August 24 to September 1, the police arrested 15 cybercriminals and issued legal notices to 247 suspects. As part of the operation, 820 suspicious bank accounts linked to cyber fraud were investigated and 159 cases were registered.
During the campaign, police examined 1,236 locations where money had been withdrawn through ATMs, leading to the registration of 32 cases. Similarly, investigations into 84 locations involving withdrawals through cheques resulted in 37 cases being registered. A total of 644 suspicious SIM cards and 630 IMEI numbers being used in cybercrime were deactivated. In addition, 22 suspicious SIM Point-of-Sale (SIM-PoS) locations were investigated, resulting in 10 cases being registered.
‘Nawada Group’ Busted in Haridwar
During the operation, police in the Shyampur police station area of Haridwar busted an organised cyber fraud gang known as the ‘Nawada Group’ and arrested five accused persons. Technical investigations revealed more than 200 bank accounts linked to the gang, with evidence of transactions involving proceeds of cyber fraud. Police recovered more than 45 ATM cards, 20 bank passbooks, two laptops and 17 mobile phones from the accused.
According to police, the fraud proceeds were obtained from people by luring them with offers involving loans, online businesses and promises of doubling their money. The money was subsequently transferred to different bank accounts and withdrawn through ATMs and other means.
₹23.44 Crore in Fraud Losses Prevented Through 1930
In 2026, the Uttarakhand Police acted on 18,749 complaints received through the 1930 cybercrime helpline and the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, successfully preventing the loss of approximately ₹23.44 crore in fraudulent transactions. During the same period, 659 out of 683 e-zero FIRs received were converted into or linked with regular FIRs.
In 2026, police also uploaded details of 240 cybercriminals and suspects on the relevant coordination portal. Cross-matching with cases registered in other states has revealed more than 100 interstate links.
2,000 Police Personnel Deployed in Four Districts
On September 3, a special operation was conducted in identified cybercrime-affected areas of Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital. Around 2,000 police personnel, along with the STF’s technical team, took part in the operation. More than 300 suspects were detained and questioned during the drive.
Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) V. Murugesan said that action against cybercriminals and their associates would continue even after Operation Hotspot. Information obtained through technical means would be continuously analysed to identify bank accounts, SIM-PoS and other resources linked to cybercrime, followed by legal action.
