Operation Cy-Hunt 2.0: 46 cases over cyber financial fraud booked, 26 arrested in district in a day

Twenty-six people were arrested from Ernakulam district as the police registered 46 cases relating to cyber financial fraud in a day, as part of the second edition of ‘Operation Cy-Hunt,’ a State-wide special drive by the police.

While the Ernakulam Rural Police arrested 16 alleged offenders, the Kochi City Police nabbed 10 accused during the day-long drive on Friday (March 6, 2026). The city police booked 10 cases even as the Rural police registered 36 cases.

The operation focussed on tracing people involved in online financial frauds, including those who have rented out their bank accounts, known as mule accounts in cyber crime parlance, to facilitate transaction of the proceeds of such crimes, and those who withdrew defrauded money using cheques and ATM cards, the police said.

Of the 16 arrested by the Rural police, 13 were remanded. The police have also seized gadgets allegedly used in cyber crimes.

The city police booked the cases after conducting raids at 50 locations. Within the city limits, the cases were registered in stations including Maradu, Elamakkara, and Palarivattom. The Rural police made the arrests from locations including Vengola, Pothanikad, Maradi, and Kalloorkad.

The police have detected transaction of lakhs of rupees, allegedly gained through fraudulent means, in the cases registered.

The State-wide operation was held four months after the drive was launched in October last year. That time, the Kochi City Police had arrested eight people in six cases. The Rural police had nabbed 43 accused, the highest in the State, in 23 cases during the maiden drive.

“The latest numbers of cases and arrests clearly show that the people were being lured by cyber scammers. Despite repeated warnings and strict police action, people continue to offer their bank accounts for fraudulent transactions. It’s a major concern,” an official with the city police said.

A total of 455 cases were registered and 165 people were arrested across the State in the operation on Friday. During the earlier drive, 382 cases were registered and 263 accused were arrested.