Hyderabad Police Operation Octopus: 104 Arrested in Cyber Crackdown

Hyderabad Police Operation Octopus | Hyderabad, Feb. 24: The Hyderabad City Police have dismantled a pan India cyber fraud syndicate under Operation Octopus, arresting 104 persons across 16 states.

The massive crackdown targeted mule account holders, account suppliers, and even a bank official for their alleged role in cyber fraud networks.

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Hyderabad Police Operation Octopus Targets 151 Fraud Linked Bank Accounts

The operation was carried out under the leadership of DCP Cybercrimes V. Aravind Babu. It was supervised by Joint Commissioner of Police Special Branch S. M. Vijay Kumar.

The police launched coordinated raids across 16 states over 10 days. As a result, 32 special teams were formed, each led by an Inspector rank officer.

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During the investigation, the Cyber Crime Police Station in Hyderabad identified 151 bank accounts used to siphon off victims funds.

These accounts were allegedly used to launder proceeds from investment scams, trading frauds, and digital arrest scams.
Therefore, the teams conducted simultaneous operations in Maharashtra, Delhi, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, and Odisha.

Of the 104 arrested, 86 were mule account holders who allowed their accounts to be used for illegal transactions.

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Meanwhile, 17 were account suppliers or aggregators who arranged such accounts and routed funds.

In addition, one Relationship Manager from Bandhan Bank was arrested for allegedly helping fraudsters open and operate fraudulent accounts.

Hyderabad Police Operation Octopus | ₹127 Crore Fraud Linked to Cyber Syndicate

According to police, the accused are linked to 1,055 cyber fraud cases registered across India. The total fraud amount is approximately ₹127 crore.

Moreover, police seized 204 mobile phones, 141 SIM cards, 152 bank passbooks, 234 debit and credit cards, 26 laptops, 56 corporate stamps, and ₹36 lakh in cash during the raids.

Police stated that cybercrime is not merely a financial offence. Instead, it affects families and weakens the socio economic fabric of society.

Therefore, Hyderabad City Police have adopted a zero tolerance policy against such crimes.

Operation Octopus is still ongoing. Meanwhile, investigators are working to trace the higher level operators behind these networks.

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Commissioner of Police Hyderabad City V. C. Sajjanar, said that anyone supporting cybercriminals, including bank officials and mule account holders, will face strict legal action.

Police also issued a public advisory. They urged citizens to avoid guaranteed return schemes shared through WhatsApp or Telegram.

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They also warned that no law enforcement agency conducts arrests over video calls or demands money to verify funds.

In case of fraud, victims must call 1930 or report on www.cybercrime.gov.in within the golden hour to increase chances of fund recovery.

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