Delhi Police has carried out one of its biggest crackdowns on cyber fraud, arresting 877 people and rounding up more than 4,400 suspects during Operation CyHawk. The operation, conducted across multiple districts, targeted mule accounts, illegal call centres, and the financial networks that enable large-scale online scams.
Commissioner of Police Satish Golchha said the drive marked a clear shift in strategy. “Cybercrime will be confronted, dismantled, and defeated. We have sent a message that cybercriminals will find no safe space in Delhi,” he said. The month-long operation was based on intelligence shared by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre under the Home Ministry. Teams mapped cyber hotspots, tracked suspicious mobile numbers, and analysed hundreds of mule accounts linked to fraud complaints across the NCRP portal. This allowed the police to identify call centres, cash handlers, and digital foot soldiers working across Delhi.
Police said 360 new FIRs were registered, and suspects in 160 pending cyber cases were located.
Several illegal call centres were shut down. These centres were running fake job scams, telemarketing frauds, customer-care impersonation, and tech-support scams. Officers said their closure stopped ongoing frauds that could have reached thousands of victims nationwide.
A senior officer involved in the operation, Joint CP (IFSO) Rajneesh Gupta, said the scale of financial trails uncovered during the raids reflects how deep these networks run. “These syndicates rely on the fast movement of money. Breaking the financial chain was critical,” he said.
One of the biggest breakthroughs was linking 3,777 complaints on the NCRP portal to mule accounts and mobile numbers used by the networks. Police said these strengthened investigations and allowed them to trace funds across multiple layers. More than Rs 1,000 crore reported in cyber fraud complaints nationwide has now been linked to accounts managed by syndicates active in Delhi.
During the raids, teams seized mobile phones, laptops, hard drives, SIM cards, debit and credit cards, registers, and financial ledgers. This digital evidence is being studied by forensic teams. Officers expect fresh arrests in the coming weeks.
Police also issued 509 notices under the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita to individuals involved in backward financial chains.
These men handled withdrawals and cash transfers but did not make the fraudulent calls.
According to officers, the operation has weakened several active modules in the capital. Many relied on a steady supply of mule accounts and quick withdrawals.
With these channels disrupted, investigators believe the networks will struggle to operate at an earlier scale.
Delhi Police said it will continue targeted, intelligence-driven operations to keep pressure on cyber fraud networks. They said the success of Operation CyHawk shows the impact of coordinated action supported by data analysis and field intelligence.
Alongside enforcement, the force has increased cyber awareness drives in schools, markets, and community spaces. Officers said citizens must stay alert and report suspicious online activity quickly. Police have asked victims of cyber fraud to call 1930 or visit the nearest police station. They said prompt reporting increases the chance of freezing stolen money.
Officials said follow-up action linked to CyHawk will continue in the coming days, including interstate coordination and financial tracking based on new leads. They said the operation has sent a strong message to organised cyber networks operating from the capital.