In one of its largest-ever crackdowns on cybercrime, the Delhi Police launched a massive, coordinated operation across the national capital, detaining thousands of suspects and uncovering fraud networks linked to scams worth over Rs 519 crore nationwide.
The operation, dubbed “CyHawk 4.0,” involved simultaneous raids across multiple districts following a month-long intelligence-gathering effort conducted in collaboration with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Police detained 8,371 suspects for questioning during the operation. More than 1,400 individuals were either arrested or placed under preventive legal measures, while notices were issued to 2,203 people under Section 35 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS).
Authorities registered 499 new First Information Reports (FIRs) and reported significant progress in 324 ongoing investigations. Additionally, 3,564 complaints from the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) were linked to mule bank accounts used to channel fraudulent funds.
Investigators uncovered a vast cyber fraud network involving mule bank accounts, fake call centres and agents facilitating scams such as fake job offers, “digital arrests,” customer care fraud and tech support scams. Several illegal call centres were shut down during the raids.
Police seized a large volume of digital and physical evidence, including mobile phones, laptops, SIM cards, debit and credit cards, hard disks and financial records. Officials said the operation focused heavily on tracking money trails, identifying financial layering and mapping cybercrime hotspots.
One of the key cases involved a mule bank account linked to a well-known food chain in Khan Market. Authorities said the account was used in a “digital arrest” scam involving approximately Rs 3.3 crore.
Police said the operation marks a significant step in dismantling organised cybercrime networks, but added that investigations are ongoing to trace remaining suspects and fully map financial flows. “This operation has demonstrated that cybercriminal networks, whether domestic or international, are firmly on the radar of law enforcement,” officials said.
Authorities emphasised that efforts will continue to identify and dismantle every link in these networks while strengthening mechanisms to prevent future cyber fraud.
