State-wide crackdown nets 263 in cyber financial fraud cases

The Kerala Police have arrested 263 people suspected to be involved in cyber financial fraud crimes in a day-long special drive conducted across the State on Thursday (October 30, 2025). A total of 382 cases were registered as part of the drive named ‘Operation Cy-Hunt’ aimed to identify and arrest persons involved in organised cyber fraud crimes committed across the country.

The arrested include those who illegally gained financial benefits by withdrawing proceeds of cyber crimes through ATMs and cheques as well as people who rented out their bank accounts for commission. The rented accounts are called ‘mule accounts’ in cyber crime parlance.

The Ernakulam Rural police recorded the highest number of arrests in the drive, nabbing 43 suspects. Malappuram came second with 30 arrests, followed by Kannur City and Kozhikode City, which each reported 23 arrests. No arrests were reported from Wayanad, while the Ernakulam City police made only two arrests.

The highest number of cases were registered in Alappuzha, with 50 in total. Kozhikode City followed with 43 cases, and Kasaragod reported 40. Of those, 38 accused booked by the Kasaragod police were detained. As part of the drive, the police conducted 714 raids and seized 88 devices linked to the identified cases.

Account holders whose bank accounts were used in cyber financial frauds without their knowledge, those who received funds through hawala or other suspicious transactions, and suspects found to have no direct involvement in the offences based on preliminary investigations have been served notices and released under supervision pending further inquiry, the police said.

The drive was carried out based on information received from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. The data included details of 2,683 people suspected of withdrawing money using cheques, 361 who withdrew funds through ATMs, and 665 mule accounts identified during the investigation.

S. Sreejith, Additional Director General of Police, Sateesh Bino, Deputy Inspector General, Ernakulam Range, and District Police Chief (Ernakulam City) Putta Vimaladitya briefed the media about the drive.