Punjab Police arrest 729 persons in cyber fraud cases over past year

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Chandigarh, July 4

The Punjab Police have intensified  its fight against cybercrime by strengthening its cyber defence network across the state, leading to the arrest of 729 people accused of online fraud and other cyber offences over the past year. Dedicated Cyber Crime Police Stations have been operating in every district and police commissionerate for the last two years, allowing investigators to respond more quickly to complaints and target organised cybercrime networks.

In the past year, Punjab Police, including its State Cyber Crime Division, registered 956 First Information Reports (FIRs) across 29 Cyber Crime Police Stations and arrested 729 suspects in cases ranging from online financial fraud to organised cybercrime.  Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said the force had combined enforcement with public awareness to help protect people from online scams. He said nearly 657 awareness programmes had been organised across Punjab to educate residents about cyber fraud, encourage safe online practices and urge victims to report incidents immediately through the national cybercrime helpline, 1930.

The State Cyber Crime Division, headed by Special DGP V. Neeraja, has registered 57 FIRs and arrested 56 people since May 2025 in what police described as high-profile and technology-driven cybercrime investigations. The Cyber Crime Police Stations across Punjab have also reported major enforcement action. Ludhiana Commissionerate Police arrested 181 suspects in 86 cases, while police in Khanna arrested 74 people in 31 FIRs. SAS Nagar recorded 57 arrests, Kapurthala arrested 47 people, Malerkotla arrested 32, Pathankot arrested 23 and Patiala made around 40 arrests while registering 74 cases.

Police said investigators had also dismantled organised cybercrime operations. One investigation focused on cyber slavery, in which victims were allegedly trafficked to scam compounds in Cambodia and other countries in Southeast Asia. Police said the probe found that victims had been sent abroad through travel agents, recruitment consultants and intermediaries, leading to the arrest of one suspect. In another operation, officers targeted a network supplying mule bank accounts used to move money obtained through online fraud. Three people were arrested, and police seized 23 ATM cards, two laptops, seven mobile phones, forged banking and identity documents, cryptocurrency worth 5,100 USDT, six official stamps and around ₹20 lakh held in bank accounts. Since May this year, Cyber Crime Police Stations have also registered nine FIRs linked to mule account operations and dismantled five such networks.

In Kapurthala, police said they uncovered an illegal call centre where suspects allegedly targeted people in the United States and Canada, persuading them to transfer money using Bitcoin and hawala channels. Punjab Police says it will continue expanding both enforcement and public awareness efforts as cyber fraud becomes increasingly sophisticated.