Gandhinagar: In a major action against cyber crime, Gujarat Police has achieved a double victory, with over ₹5.51 crore being returned to citizens who were cheated, while also busting an international cyber crime syndicate worth ₹804 crore, the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Harsh Sanghavi, said today.

Congratulating the officers and staff of the State Cyber Crime Cell, he emphasized that Gujarat Police’s efforts against cyber fraud have been recognized at the national level.

Sharing details of police successes, Sanghavi stated that under the “Tera Tujko Arpan” program, citizens have been reimbursed through the Cyber Center of Excellence in Gandhinagar. “In a major case, a senior citizen from Vadodara was defrauded by promises of huge profits in the name of reputed insurance companies, and the police successfully froze and returned ₹4.91 crore. In another serious case, a senior citizen woman from Ahmedabad was subjected to a ‘digital arrest’ by a fake police officer, threatened with a drugs case, monitored via Skype for 12 days, and extorted of ₹48 lakh, which was also recovered by the police. Additionally, money defrauded through a fake trading app named ‘ROCKCREEAK’ amounting to ₹12.70 lakh from a family was recovered and returned by the police,” he said.

Sanghavi further revealed that Gujarat Police busted a massive cyber fraud syndicate operating from Dubai, Vietnam, and Cambodia. The gang recruited bank accounts and SIM cards from citizens with small commission promises to commit fraud nationwide.

The syndicate committed 1,549 crimes across India, defrauding an estimated ₹804 crore, including 141 crimes in Gujarat involving ₹17.75 crore.

Ten main accused were arrested from Surat, and materials seized included 65 mobile phones, 447 debit cards, 529 bank account kits, 686 SIM cards, and 16 POS machines.

The MoS urged citizens to adopt a “cyber security shield” and report frauds within the first hour to the cyber helpline 1930. He clarified that there is no legal provision for “digital arrest” in India, advising people not to fear fake calls. He warned against schemes promising overnight wealth and sharing bank or SIM details with strangers, stressing that doing so would make one an accomplice in fraud.

Furthermore, he issued a stern warning to cyber criminals: “There is no place for cyber criminals on the land of Gujarat. Even if you hide anywhere in the world, the Gujarat Police will find you and hand you over to the law.” DeshGujarat