Mathura Police Busts Cyber Syndicate in Operation Bajrang, 34 Arrested from Villages
Coordinated Crackdown on Cyber Syndicate Yields 34 Arrests in Western Uttar Pradesh
In a major operation, law enforcement agencies apprehended 34 individuals suspected of involvement in a large-scale cyber fraud syndicate operating in rural western Uttar Pradesh. The crackdown, codenamed “Operation Bajrang,” was carried out in the villages of Janghawali and Vishambhara, where police had identified a significant concentration of cybercrime activity.
The operation involved nearly 250 personnel from multiple police stations, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) units, and circle-level teams. The villages were sealed off, and teams conducted house-to-house searches, resulting in the seizure of numerous fake Aadhaar cards, mobile phones, motorcycles, and a car. The confiscated devices will undergo forensic analysis to uncover evidence of fraud scripts, bank account linkages, call records, and potential victims.
Modus Operandi of the Cyber Syndicate
Preliminary investigations suggest that the arrested individuals were part of a structured cyber fraud syndicate operating through village-level modules. Each module allegedly handled specific roles, such as obtaining SIM cards, placing fraudulent calls, managing mule bank accounts, and withdrawing cash. The decentralized structure allowed the network to evade detection during earlier enforcement efforts.
The syndicate targeted victims through various call-based deception techniques, including OTP fraud, fake loan approvals, KYC update calls, and investment scams. Fake identity documents were used to obtain SIM cards and open bank accounts, while funds were rapidly withdrawn in cash to avoid digital trails. The villages had been identified as cybercrime hotspots through sustained monitoring on the national cybercrime tracking system and the Pratibimb analytics platform.
Operation Details
The operation resulted in the arrest of 11 suspects from Janghawali and 23 from Vishambhara, while 45 suspects managed to escape and are currently being tracked through follow-up raids. Special teams have been formed to locate the absconders, with raids underway at known hideouts and suspected safe houses.
The crackdown follows a similar operation in December in the Govardhan area, where 37 cyber offenders were arrested and several wanted suspects were later apprehended after armed encounters. Authorities have indicated that sustained pressure on identified hotspot villages will continue as part of a long-term enforcement strategy.
Investigation and Awareness
Digital evidence recovered during the operation, including call detail records, messaging logs, device fingerprints, and banking trails, is being analyzed to map interstate linkages and identify higher-level coordinators. Investigators suspect that the rural modules may be connected to handlers operating from other districts or states.
Law enforcement officials have appealed to the public not to share OTPs, banking details, or KYC information over unsolicited calls and to report suspicious communications through the national cybercrime helpline or online portal. Awareness campaigns are also being planned in nearby areas to reduce victim vulnerability. Further arrests are likely once the forensic examination of seized devices is completed.
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