Cyberfraud networks busted in Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand police have launched a major crackdown on cyberfraud networks, arresting over a dozen individuals and dismantling a ring involved in loan and investment scams. The operation, dubbed 'Operation Hotspot,' involved blocking hundreds of SIM cards and bank accounts used for money laundering.
Why it matters
This highlights the growing sophistication of organized cybercrime in India and the state's efforts to disrupt the financial infrastructure supporting these illicit activities.
Uttarakhand’s Special Task Force (STF) recently wrapped up a week-long State-wide crackdown on the financial and telecom infrastructure powering cyberfraud, verifying over 800 suspect bank accounts and blocking hundreds of SIM cards and phones. The operation also led to the arrest of over a dozen people, including the alleged masterminds of an organised fraud ring with links to over 200 mule accounts.
Addressing the media on Thursday (September 3, 2026), Additional Director General of Police (Crime, Law and Order) and Director (Vigilance) V. Murugesan said the operation’s biggest catch came from Haridwar, where the STF busted what the police have dubbed the “Nawada group”, a cyberfraud network accused of funnelling proceeds from loan scams, fake online trading schemes, and “double your investment” cons through a web of mule accounts.
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