In a major breakthrough in the ongoing crackdown on an international cyber fraud syndicate, the Ludhiana commissionerate police has arrested the alleged kingpin of the network from Delhi along with five other accused linked to the racket.The police chief said teams are now examining the money trail. (HT File)Police said the alleged mastermind is being brought to Ludhiana for further interrogation as investigators intensify efforts to ascertain the full extent of the interstate and international fraud network. The kingpin has been identified as Deepak Jha of Delhi. He is alleged to have provided technical support, including software and mobile and computer applications, to facilitate hacking of targets’ devices.Addressing the media on Monday, commissioner of police Swapan Sharma said the cyber fraud network was operating mainly from Delhi and Gujarat and had links across multiple locations. “Our teams have arrested the kingpin of the network from Delhi. Efforts are underway to identify and trace his associates and others connected to the racket, including additional operatives from Gujarat,” Sharma said.Police also arrested five additional accused during the latest operation and recovered laptops and mobile phones allegedly used in cyber fraud activities.With the latest arrests, the total number of accused held in the case has reached 138.The development comes days after the commissionerate police claimed to have busted a large international cyber fraud network and arrested 132 accused in one of the biggest cybercrime crackdowns in the region.During earlier raids, police had recovered over ₹1 crore in cash, 19 luxury cars, 229 mobile phones and 98 laptops from the accused. According to police, the gang allegedly targeted foreign nationals through fraudulent calls and online scams, cheating victims of substantial amounts. Investigators also suspect that some members of the syndicate were operating a parallel hawala network to channel illicit funds.The police chief said teams are now examining the money trail and identifying additional operatives linked to the network.