The Punjab Police on Saturday said they had significantly strengthened their cyber crime response by expanding the cyber defence network and intensifying action against cyber criminals, including making more than 700 arrests over the last one year.The state cyber crime division has also succeeded in cracking organised cybercrime networks. (HT File)From May 1 last year to June 24, 2026, the Punjab Police, including the state cyber crime division, have registered 956 FIRs across 29 cyber crime police stations and arrested 729 accused involved in different cyber fraud cases, helping protect people from losing their hard-earned money.Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said that the state cyber crime division had made remarkable progress over the last four years in tackling cybercrime and protecting innocent citizens.Alongside strict enforcement, the police have also focused on prevention by conducting 657 citizen awareness programmes across the state, encouraging them to report incidents immediately on the cybercrime helpline 1930.Since May 2025, the state cyber crime division, headed by special DGP V Neeraja, has registered 57 FIRs and arrested 56 accused involved in high-profile and technology-intensive cybercrime cases. Apart from this, the cyber crime police stations (CCPS) have arrested 673 accused in various cyber fraud cases across the state.Among them, Malerkotla CCPS arrested 32 accused in 41 cases; Ludhiana commissionerate police arrested 181 accused in 86 cases; Mohali CCPS arrested 57 accused in 52 cases; Khanna CCPS arrested 74 accused in 31 FIRs; Pathankot CCPS arrested 23 accused in 44 cases; Patiala CCPS made nearly 40 arrests and registered 74 FIRs; and Kapurthala CCPS registered 26 FIRs and arrested 47 accused.The state cyber crime division has also succeeded in cracking organised cybercrime networks. Earlier this year, it investigated cases of cyber slavery involving victims, rescued from scam compounds in Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries.The investigation revealed that the victims had been sent abroad by travel agents, placement consultants, recruiting intermediaries and their associates operating from different states, leading to the arrest of one accused.In another major operation targeting mule account networks, the state cyber crime division arrested three accused for facilitating the opening and supply of bank accounts used in online financial fraud.