VISAKHAPATNAM: In a major crackdown on cybercrime, police on Wednesday dismantled a Myanmar and Cambodia-style operation running out of several buildings near the Atchutapuram SEZ and industrial area in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalli district. The network had been operating for two years, and over 100 individuals, including women, were detained.

The detained individuals are being questioned about their roles, daily operations, recruitment strategies, and the scope of their activities. Authorities believe the group targeted victims in the US, UK, Australia, and other countries. A police official revealed that many of the youths were specifically recruited for their distinct English accents to deceive foreign victims.

The operation took place in the early hours, with many workers escaping during the raid, taking advantage of the cover of darkness and what was described as an inadequate police presence. The suspects were reportedly working in what appeared to be call centers, with many unaware of the fraudulent activities they were involved in. Some of the detainees claimed to have joined only recently and were still in the “employee induction” phase.

This anti-cybercrime operation, the first of its kind in the region, followed four months of surveillance. The suspect offices, spread across multiple unmarked buildings, were staffed primarily by individuals from outside Andhra Pradesh, mostly from the northeastern states.

Police have yet to identify the mastermind behind the operation. Atchutapuram, about 80 km from Visakhapatnam, has become an industrial hub with numerous apartment complexes and group houses, making it an ideal location for the criminals to operate discreetly.

Preliminary investigations suggest the suspects were lured by monthly salaries ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000. Locals, who had seen workers frequently using phones and computers in the flats, initially believed it was just a call center. Sources have revealed three distinct roles among the suspects: some were responsible for managing deposits, others handled transactions, and a third group was directly involved in defrauding foreign victims.