Goa Police Crack Down on Cybercrime: 24 Arrested in Massive Inter-State Cyber ‘Vigil 2.0’ Operation Across 16 States

Panaji, Goa: Goa Police on Friday achieved a significant breakthrough in its sustained crackdown against cybercriminal networks through a coordinated inter-state Cyber ‘Vigil 2.0’ operation.

The operation was jointly conducted by the North District Police, South District Police and Cyber Crime Police Station under the supervision of Shri. Rahul Gupta, SP North, Shri. Akshat Ayush, SP South and Shri. Jivba Dalvi, SP Cyber with the objective of identifying, tracing and taking decisive action against individuals involved in cyber fraud and other cyber-related offences.

As part of this extensive operation, 43 police teams were deployed across 16 States, demonstrating Goa Police's commitment to pursuing cybercriminals beyond geographical boundaries and ensuring that those involved in cyber offences are brought to justice.

During the operation, officials arrested 24 accused persons, issued and served 20 notices, and worked out 37 cybercrime cases involving a total fraud amount of Rs 8,21,67,999.73.

The successful arrests and detection of cases underline the focused efforts, operational coordination and determination of Goa Police in tackling organised cybercrime. The operation sends a clear message that individuals involved in cyber fraud cannot evade law enforcement by operating from outside the State.

During 2026, Goa Police Cyber Crime has achieved significant results in combating cyber fraud and protecting victims. A total amount of ₹15.94 crore has been secured through lien marking in suspected fraudulent bank accounts.

In addition, authorities undertook several enforcement and victim-support measures, blocking 1,717 SIM cards to prevent their misuse in cyber fraud, along with 722 social media handles and 814 fake websites.

Officials also converted 306 Zero E-FIRs into regular FIRs for investigation, successfully resolved 644 Grievance Redressal Mechanism (GRM) requests, and refunded Rs 1,94,33,682 (approximately Rs 1.94 crore) to cyber fraud victims through the MRM Portal.

The operation was conducted under the close supervision of Ved Prakash Surya, IPS, DIG, Crime & Range, Goa Police, and under the overall guidance of Keshav Ram Chaurasiya, IPS, Inspector General of Police, Goa, and Alok Kumar, IPS, Director General of Police, Goa.

Additionally during last 3 months Goa Police reaches nearly 8100 people through 80 cyber awareness programmes. 

In its continued endeavour to promote cyber safety and strengthen public awareness against cybercrime, Goa Police conducted 80 cyber awareness programmes between August and November 2026, reaching approximately 8100 participants across Goa and beyond.

The awareness initiatives covered a wide cross-section of society, including schools, higher secondary institutions, colleges, universities, government departments, community organisations, banks, hotels and industrial establishments. Participants included students, teachers, parents, government officials, police and armed forces personnel, senior citizens, women, bank employees and industrial workers.

The sessions covered various forms of cybercrime, including phishing and smishing attacks, OTP and UPI frauds, fake investment and trading scams, job and work-from-home frauds, digital arrest scams, online shopping frauds, identity theft, social media impersonation, cyberstalking, online harassment, sextortion and other forms of financial cyber fraud.

Participants were sensitised about suspicious links, fraudulent calls and messages, fake websites, misuse of social media platforms and the importance of safeguarding personal and financial information. Special emphasis was laid on the immediate reporting of cyber financial fraud through the National Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 and the portal www.cybercrime.gov.in.

A significant milestone in this outreach initiative was the large-scale awareness programme organised at Mapusa on 28 October 2026, which witnessed the participation of approximately 900 students from 13 schools and higher secondary institutions. The students were encouraged to become Cyber Awareness Ambassadors and act as responsible digital citizens by disseminating cyber safety messages among their families, friends and communities.

The outreach initiative also extended beyond conventional educational institutions, with dedicated programmes for colleges and universities, NGOs, clubs, semi-government organisations and other stakeholder groups.

Notably, two programmes were conducted outside Goa on the request of Commanding officer HQ Naval Base Karwar, for the Navy officers on board INS Vikramaditya and Indian Aircraft carriership at Naval base Karwar reached approximately 800 participants, further extending the reach of Goa Police's cyber awareness campaign.