Operation Shutdown: Rajasthan Police Smash Cyber Gang, Arrest Six, Seize Rs 53 Lakh In High-Stakes Digital Crackdown

In a power-packed hammer-blow against high-tech financial crime, the Rajasthan Police dismantled a highly sophisticated interstate cyber gang in a synchronized crackdown codenamed ‘Operation Shutdown’. This operation being executed with multiple state-level linkages concluded with the arrest of six other associates and freezing of a major network of illegal finances.

Others arrested included a couple with some government setups in the past, further indicating the level of infiltration of the fraud. The settled syndicate was systematically targeting and exploiting various Central and State government welfare schemes, rerouting public funds toward their own benefit while depriving the people who truly need it. 

The amount seized indicates the huge earnings to the group, with the police seizing ₹53 lakh in cash, a currency-counting machine, and various electronic gadgets, not to mention luxury cars and farm machinery allegedly bought with the proceeds of crime.

A painstaking investigation into the gang was launched following receipt of a secret complaint and revealed that the criminals used these methods to intervene in secure digital barricades and to siphon away funds creating hopes of a digital renaissance for cybersecurity and honest governance.

Digital Infiltration and Modus Operandi

The gang’s operations were primarily based on digital infiltration of government portals: the principal accused, a former operator at the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi State Nodal Office, was charged with misusing his official access to manufacture unauthorized login credentials.

With that access, the syndicate proceeded to alter official records and wrongfully activate accounts of ineligible beneficiaries while circumventing critical security checks like that of OTP verification, often at odd hours. The gang’s victims were mainly individuals whose registrations were put on hold due to KYC discrepancies or discrepancies in land records.

The gang efficiently sold vast amounts of sensitive information relating to the government’s data and system access in order to achieve mass theft, allegedly charging 50% to 75% commission on the amount defrauded. Evidence seized from those arrests included the login IDs and passwords of numerous government officials, confirming a horrifying breach of protocol and digital trust.

Freezing the Ill-Gotten Financial Trail

Apart from the immediate cash seizure of ₹53 lakhs, the police have also moved to strangle the monetary lifeblood of this syndicate. One of the vital developments in ‘Operation Shutdown’ is the freezing of about 11,000 dubious bank accounts that have been traced to cyber criminals and hold an estimated total of ₹1 crore.

This whole network was extensively used for the quick withdrawals or transfers of government funds deposited, usually employing Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS) for money’s rapid transactional mobility.

A dedicated Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to trace the money trail meticulously, identify all illegitimately obtained properties in addition to probing systemic vulnerabilities for ensuring complete accountability and asset recovery in this massive public funds fraud case.

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