UP Police crack down on rural cyber fraud network in Mathura, 34 held

AGRA: In a major crackdown on organised cybercrime, Uttar Pradesh Police on Sunday arrested 34 individuals during simultaneous raids in two villages of Mathura district. The operation involved six gazetted officers, 13 SHOs and nearly 240 police personnel, and was described by officials as one of the most extensive operations in recent times against rural cyberfraud networks.The raids in Bishambhara and Janghawali villages followed sustained intelligence inputs and digital surveillance that flagged suspicious activity, said officials. Both villages had been identified as high-risk zones through the Pratibimb GIS-based monitoring system developed by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre under the Union ministry of home affairs.Police arrested 11 suspects from Janghawali village, while 17 others managed to escape. In Bishambhara village, 23 suspects were arrested and 28 fled. Overall, 34 accused were taken into custody and 45 are being tracked, cops said.Search teams recovered forged identity documents, including fake Aadhaar cards, and multiple mobile phones suspected to have been used in the fraud. Forensic experts were analysing the devices, with preliminary findings linking them to at least 18 confirmed cases and the use of multiple IMEI numbers to evade detection.SP (rural) Suresh Chandra Rawat said, "Investigations revealed that the accused were operating as an organised syndicate involved in ongoing cybercrime. Eight of the arrested accused had previously been jailed in similar cases, indicating repeat and organised criminal activity." He added that police are coordinating with agencies in other states to identify more victims and trace the money trail.Police said cases will be registered as evidence is examined, and stringent provisions related to organised crime will be invoked. Additional items seized during the raids were being examined to establish ownership and links to the syndicate, added police.