13 States and Central Agencies on one platform to curb organized cybercrime

A significant meeting was organized in Hyderabad by the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. The main objective of this meeting was to strengthen coordination between 13 states and 11 central agencies to curb organized cybercrime networks active across state and national borders. 45 officials from law enforcement agencies of 13 states participated in this Joint Cyber Crime Coordination Team (JCCT-IV) meeting held on Tuesday at the Telangana Integrated Command and Control Centre (TGiCCC).

Representatives from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Intelligence Bureau (IB), National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), and the Telangana IT Department were present at the meeting. The program was inaugurated by Telangana Director General of Police C.V. Anand, while Principal Secretary of the Home Department and Director of TGCSB Shikha Goel presented the agenda. I4C Chief Executive Officer Rajesh Kumar provided information regarding the current state of cybercrime in the country.

Director General of Police C.V. Anand stated that Telangana has ranked first in the last two reviews conducted by the Prime Minister's Office. During the year 2024-25, cybercrime complaints across India have increased by 24%, while a 3% decrease has been recorded in Telangana. The financial loss caused by cybercrimes in the state has decreased by 20%, compared to a reduction of only 4% at the national level. He emphasized that instead of recovering money after a crime, the focus should now be on preventing crimes. For this, it is necessary to prevent criminals from reaching potential victims, communication channels, phone numbers, and bank accounts.

Shikha Goel advocated for an integrated approach based on intelligence rather than case-based investigation, which includes real-time information exchange and joint operations between states. Rajesh Kumar stated that the hubs of cyber scams are now migrating from South-East Asia to Africa, Sri Lanka, and other countries. He informed that all states except one have notified their State Cyber Crime Coordination Centres (S4Cs). He suggested second-phase reforms, which include an integrated investigation platform, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for banks prepared by the RBI to stop suspicious transactions, and special nationwide operations targeting the infrastructure of cybercrime.

Extensive discussions were held at the meeting regarding the identification of nodal officers, establishment of escalation protocols, maximum utilization of the I4C platform, and taking preventive measures in collaboration with banks, telecom operators, and digital platforms. The purpose of these efforts is to make the cyber security infrastructure across the country more capable and secure.