Chennai police arrest 10 across five states in Rs 24.54 crore cyber fraud cases
Greater Chennai Police have arrested 10 people in connection with six cyber-financial fraud cases that together cost victims about Rs 24.54 crore, the force said on Wednesday, 10 September. The arrests were spread across five states, underlining how far the money trail in a single city's complaints now runs.
What police say happened
According to police statements reported by LatestLY and Urban Acres, the six cases were registered by the Central Crime Branch and the North Zone cybercrime police in Chennai. Four special teams, each led by an inspector, traced suspects to Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi.
Of the 10 arrested, six are from Tamil Nadu and Kerala, two from Maharashtra and two from Gujarat. Police said Rs 44.17 lakh of the defrauded money had been transferred into the bank accounts of six of the accused, while the other four allegedly acted as intermediaries who moved funds onward. Rs 42.72 lakh was recovered during the operation, along with eight mobile phones, SIM cards, memory cards, two bank passbooks and a cheque book.
The reports do not describe the specific scams used against the victims, and police have not said whether the six cases are connected to one another beyond the money-mule network.
Custody and charges
Eight of the accused were remanded in judicial custody. The remaining two were issued notices under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, the provision that allows police to require a person's appearance without arrest in certain cases. All ten are accused, not convicted, and the matters are before the courts.
The 'mule account' problem
The figures illustrate a pattern police across India have described repeatedly this year: the gap between what victims lose and what investigators can trace. Here, Rs 24.54 crore was reported lost, yet only a little over Rs 44 lakh could be linked to the accounts of those arrested, and just under Rs 43 lakh recovered. The rest typically moves through layers of rented bank accounts, often belonging to people paid a small commission to hand over their passbooks and SIM cards, before leaving the formal system.
That is why the arrested include people from four different states. Account holders and intermediaries are usually the most reachable link in a chain whose organisers may sit abroad.
What the police are asking
The Chennai police commissioner said strict action would be taken against anyone involved in cybercrime, according to Urban Acres. The force reiterated its standing advice: anyone who loses money online should call the national helpline 1930 or file a complaint at the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal as quickly as possible, because the first hours determine whether a transfer can be frozen.
The same day, Chennai Customs separately arrested a Malaysian passenger arriving from Bangkok with 4,033 grams of hydroponic ganja, LatestLY reported, another reminder that the city's enforcement agencies are increasingly working cases with cross-border links.