Ahmedabad, Dec 2 : In a series of explosive operations, Gujarat Police have unleashed a massive crackdown on cyber criminals, dismantling high-profile fraud networks and rescuing citizens from digital traps that spanned across India and beyond.

The Gujarat Cyber Crime Cell delivered one of the biggest blows to global cyber syndicates on November 18. The Cyber Centre of Excellence (CCoE) team arrested Nilesh Purohit, the mastermind of an international cyber slavery racket that trafficked Indian youth into scam camps in Myanmar and Cambodia - camps allegedly run by China-based criminal networks.

Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, praising the breakthrough, said the operation exposed the vast and terrifying international network behind digital slavery crimes. Purohit had already trafficked hundreds of innocent people by promising them jobs and pushing them into cyber fraud operations, he said.

SP Rajdeepsinh Jhala detailed how the cyber team meticulously tracked cross-border links and cracked the complex web connecting offenders sitting thousands of miles away.

On November 20, Surat Cyber Police sprang into action in a chilling case of digital arrest.

A retired government officer, Amit Desai, was trapped by fraudsters posing as investigative agencies, said DCP Bishakha Jain. He was psychologically held hostage and just moments away from transferring his lifeâ??s savings.

The Cyber Cell stormed in with lightning precision - rescuing Desai safely and saving every rupee he had earned in his life. The crackdown didnâ??t begin today. Gujarat Police tore apart cyber networks across Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, and Vadodara beginning in the month of May.

Ahmedabad cybercrime branch hits hard

May 16: Six members of a China-linked syndicate operating from Cambodia and Nepal were arrested. They hacked Pranay Bhavsarâ??s bank account, siphoning Rs 48.85 lakh.

May 14: Two men behind a Rs 14.94 lakh digital arrest scam were nabbed from Surat.

Surat cyber cell continues its winning streak

May 2: A fraudster running scams from Dubai was arrested.

May 7: Rahul Chaudhary from Vapi was caught after duping victims of Rs 9.30 lakh with fake forex trading schemes.

May 15: Amit Kumar and Sumit Kumar Thakur arrested for a Rs 98.85 lakh cyber fraud.

May 16: A 90-year-old man was digitally arrested and cheated of Rs 1.15 crore -- Nepal resident Parth Gopani was nabbed at Lucknow Airport.

May 16: Krunalsinh Sisodia arrested for digitally arresting an elderly citizen and cheating him of Rs 22 lakh.

Rajkot cyber team cleans up the digital underworld

May 2: Action taken against 9 social media influencers promoting illegal online betting sites.

May 3: Raghuveer Singh Chauhan was arrested at the Gujaratâ??Maharashtra border for running fake online profiles and scamming people.

Vadodara cyber cell recovers crores

Over Rs 1 crore recovered in a Rs 2.71 crore online fraud case.

The fraudster behind a Rs 23 lakh digital arrest scam was arrested in Pune.

From busting global syndicates to rescuing citizens in real time, Gujarat Police have shown that cyber criminals - no matter where they hide - cannot escape the arm of the law.

The Cyber Crime Cellâ??s speed, intelligence, and aggressive operations are sending a clear message: If you commit cybercrime, Gujarat Police will find you - wherever you are.

/IANS