Haryana Police Leads Nation in Blocking Cybercrime Numbers

5 Dariya News

Chandigarh 06-Jun-2024

Haryana Police has achieved the top position in the country for blocking mobile numbers involved in cybercrimes. According to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, a total of 1,11,349 mobile numbers have been blocked by Haryana Police so far, the highest in India. This is Haryana Police's second significant national-level achievement in cybercrime control, earning widespread praise.

Between January 1 and April 30, 2024, a total of 546,000 mobile numbers involved in cybercrimes were blocked nationwide, with Haryana Police blocking 111,349 of these, accounting for nearly 20% of the total. Consequently, Haryana Police has emerged as the national leader in blocking cybercrime-related mobile numbers.

Daily Arrests of Cyber criminals:

Haryana Police arrests about 11 cybercriminals daily. Director General of Police Shatrujeet Kapur said that cybercriminals constantly devise new methods to defraud people. From January 1 to May 31, 2024, Haryana Police arrested 1,668 cybercriminals. Of these, around 400 were from Haryana, while about 1,200 were apprehended in cybercrime hotspots across Assam, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and other states. Haryana Police has identified 50 such hotspots nationwide where cybercrime cases are most frequently reported.

Collaboration with Telecom Companies:

Kapur emphasized the critical role of mobile numbers in cybercrimes. To block these numbers effectively, Haryana Police formulated an action plan involving three key strategies. First, they extracted details of numbers used in complaints received on the cyber helpline portal and initiated blocking actions. Meetings with telecom companies' representatives were conducted to strategize and block suspicious numbers, resulting in the blocking of 111,349 mobile numbers, the highest in the country.

Major Arrests in Nuh District:

Nuh district has reported the highest number of cybercrime cases in Haryana. In response, Haryana Police launched a special operation, identifying and blocking 18,886 mobile numbers used for cyber fraud in Nuh. This operation revealed that cybercriminals in Nuh were using mobile numbers obtained from other states. Additionally, Haryana Police is working with Airtel to develop AI-based solutions for better cybercrime control.

Use of 'ASTRA' Software:

In collaboration with the Department of Telecommunications, Haryana Police has also blocked 496,562 mobile numbers using the 'ASTRA' software, which employs AI and facial recognition tools to identify and block numbers used with fake documents for cyber fraud. Critical information about cybercriminals' locations and activities is shared with other states to facilitate swift action and arrests.

Bank Collaboration and Cyber Police Stations: Haryana has established 29 cyber police stations, staffed with experienced teams conducting raids across Haryana and other states. Four Haryana Police officers are stationed at the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) working with 20 major banks to prevent cyber fraud. Currently, 14 nodal officers from 9 major banks are collaborating with the Haryana Police team to quickly freeze accounts involved in cyber fraud.

DGP Kapur urged the public not to share private banking information such as OTPs, account numbers, or IFSC codes with unknown persons and to avoid clicking on suspicious links or falling for attractive offers in online advertisements. In case of cyber fraud, individuals should immediately contact the Haryana Police helpline at 1930 within the first hour.