Kanpur police conducted a major operation in Rathi village, Uttar Pradesh, India, arresting 20 individuals linked to a cyber crime syndicate that had allegedly defrauded over 4,000 victims across five states. The suspects, aged between 15 to 22, were primarily school dropouts who had previously worked in cotton mills in Tamil Nadu’s Erode. They had learned the techniques of cyber fraud while employed in the mills and returned to their village to train others. The group operated under the guise of government officials, soliciting fees for various programs, and impersonated police officers to extort money from victims. The police operation, which involved over 200 personnel and drone surveillance, has left the village in shock, as it was known for its cyber crime activities for nearly a decade without significant police intervention. The authorities are continuing to investigate the network, which has connections to other villages and previous complaints from multiple states.