Delhi Police Nabs 916 In Massive CyHawk 5.0 Crackdown On Cybercrime Networks Worth Rs 700 Crore

New Delhi: Delhi Police has pulled off one of the largest-ever drives against online cyber fraud, arresting 916 suspects in a two-day operation that spanned the country and exposed around Rs 700 crore in cheating amount, explaining the scale of India’s cybercrime problem. According to police, the coordinated action, carried out under Operation CyHawk 5.0 on June 16 and 17, followed months of data analysis of complaints filed up to May 31 on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP). A senior police officer stated that the large-scale action was designed not just to pick up the fraudsters but to break the bigger networks that make digital scams possible.

Speaking to the media, Joint Commissioner of Police (JCP) Rajneesh Gupta termed the operation as unprecedented in scope, saying, “Teams from all district police units, along with 15 cyber police stations, participated in the coordinated crackdown.” Over 715 police teams and over 2500 police personnel were deployed across the city, with the cops under the supervision of senior officers, travelling to 21 states to track suspects. The teams rounded up around 7000 people for verification and questioning, bound down nearly 600 as a preventive measure, and issued notices to around 2000 others amidst the ongoing investigation.

As per the police officials, over 2500 NCRP complaints were brought under the operation’s lens, with the total amount allegedly cheated close to Rs 700 crore. The police targeted organised gangs involved in financial fraud, phishing, digital scams and other forms of online deception. The police asserted that many of those arrested have links to notorious cybercrime hubs such as Jamtara in Jharkhand and Nuh in Haryana, places that have repeatedly drawn law enforcement attention for online fraud.

Illegal Call Centres And High-Profile Case Busted

As part of CyHawk 5.0, the police dismantled several illegal call centres that were allegedly being used to dupe victims over the phone. During raids, the police recovered multiple laptops, mobile phones and other digital equipment suspected of being used to carry out the crimes. The police officials stated that these devices are now being forensically examined to trace money trails, identify handlers and map connections between different syndicates. 

The Delhi police also shared fresh details about a high-profile case involving former Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Gujral. According to the police, the fraud began after the owner of a company received a ZIP file and forwarded it to the finance team. Once an employee opened the attachment, hackers allegedly compromised the system. The cybercriminals then replaced Gujral’s genuine contact number with one controlled by them. 

Later, posing as authorised persons, they called company staff and instructed them to transfer funds. In 4 separate transactions, Rs 7.86 crore was siphoned off before the fraud came to light. The police said that they have managed to freeze nearly Rs 4 crore linked to the transfers and are probing to trace the rest while identifying all conspirators.

Organised Cybercrime Have Become National Threat

The police officials stressed that the operation was aimed at disrupting the ecosystem that allowed cybercrime to thrive. Around 7000 people were brought in for scrutiny, while preventive bonds and notices were used to tighten the net. 

The Delhi police noted that fraudsters are now using sophisticated tools, fake identities and social engineering tactics to target both individuals and businesses. The operations like CyHawk 5.0, with losses mounting and techniques evolving, are being seen as critical to slowing the rise of organised digital crime. The senior police officials have also sent a strong and clear message through the crackdown operation that the cyber offenders operating from any corner of the country will be tracked, and the networks that enable them will be dismantled.