Delhi Police’s 48-hour ‘Operation CyHawk’ detains 381, books 95, registers 24 FIRs; seizes 1,843 phones, fake IMEI factory, and ₹10.28 lakh cash
Illegal mobile manufacturing & IMEI-alteration unit busted — 5 arrested with 1,826 phones and morphing software; fake insurance call centre also raided
ATM cloners, mule account operators, and impersonators among those arrested in Central District’s largest cybercrime crackdown
Delhi Police’s Central District concluded a 48-hour ‘Operation CyHawk’ on Friday morning, detaining 381 individuals, registering 24 FIRs, and arresting 95 suspects involved in organised cyber fraud.
Police seized 1,843 mobile phones, three laptops, 84 ATM cards, fake insurance documents, forged company stamps, and recovered ₹10.28 lakh in cash.
The highlight was the busting of an illegal mobile manufacturing and IMEI-alteration unit in the district. Five persons, Ashok Kumar (45), Ramnarayan (36), Dharmender Kumar (35), Deepanshu (25), and Deepak (19) — were arrested after police recovered 1,826 mobile phones, a laptop loaded with IMEI-morphing software, thousands of mobile parts, and printed fake IMEI stickers.
Another major action saw the dismantling of an unlicensed call centre in West Patel Nagar that duped people on the pretext of vehicle insurance renewal. Accused Khemchand (33) was arrested with laptops, fake policy letters, rubber stamps of reputed insurers, and ₹10 lakh cash.
Three members of an interstate ATM fraud syndicate, Arif alias Sharik (27), Shahzad (35), and Mohd Zaim (29), were nabbed in Karol Bagh with 81 cloned ATM cards. In separate cases, teams arrested individuals involved in card skimming, mule bank accounts, and impersonation scams, including a 21-year-old who allegedly cheated a 73-year-old senior citizen of ₹22.86 lakh.
“Operation CyHawk has severely disrupted organised cyber fraud networks operating from Central Delhi,” a senior officer said, adding that investigations continue to trace victims and upstream handlers.
