228 Arrested in Telangana Cybercrime Crackdown, Majority Young and Educated

Hyderabad: The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) has arrested 228 individuals, including 27 women, for alleged involvement in cybercrime between January 1 and July 31, 2025. The arrests were carried out through seven cybercrime police stations and coordinated operations across nine states.

The action spanned Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Jharkhand.

A significant number of those arrested are between 18 and 30 years old. Many are students, software engineers, private employees, and bank staff. Among them are 49 graduates, 18 B.Tech holders, and one law graduate—pointing to a growing trend of educated youth being drawn into cybercrime networks.

According to a statement from the bureau, these enforcement efforts have contributed to a 13% drop in cybercrime cases in Telangana during the first half of 2025. Officials credited targeted operations and improved surveillance systems for the decline.

The arrested individuals are linked to 1,313 cybercrime cases across India, including 189 registered in Telangana. The estimated financial loss stands at Rs 92 crore.

The offences include operating fake call centres, investment and job scams, online child exploitation, cyber slavery modules, identity theft, and digital impersonation.

In February, the bureau raided a fake call centre in Patrika Nagar, Hi-Tech City, Hyderabad, arresting 63 people—mainly from Gujarat and the Northeast—for targeting NRIs and U.S. citizens through fraudulent schemes.

In May, a 10-day operation in Surat led to the arrest of 20 suspects involved in over 500 cyber fraud cases, primarily job and investment scams. In June, 15 repeat offenders were arrested for 57 child exploitation cases in Telangana.

Breakdown of arrests: Fake call centres: 66, Investment and job fraud: 77, Child sexual exploitation: 15, Cyber slavery modules: 18, Online trading frauds: 13, Others include SIM box operations, identity theft, and digital arrest scams.

The TGCSB emphasized its continued focus on proactive detection, digital forensics, and legal action. Citizens are urged to report suspicious online activity through the cybercrime helpline 1930 or at www.cybercrime.gov.in.