“We will root out fraudsters, touts from the state”: Assam police launch statewide crackdown, 330 arrested

Assam Police have arrested 330 people in a statewide crackdown against fraudsters, touts and middlemen accused of deceiving people by promising to influence police proceedings, Director General of Police (DGP) Harmeet Singh said on Saturday, September 5.

Addressing a press conference at the Assam Police headquarters in Ulubari, Guwahati, Singh said the operation was launched in response to a recent increase in complaints involving fraud and the activities of people who allegedly prey on victims and complainants visiting police stations.

According to the DGP, several of the accused would remain around police stations and approach people, particularly those from vulnerable sections, claiming that they could manage police-related matters on their behalf.

“We had our sights on many such individuals across the state over the last few days,” Singh said, adding that the operation was initiated following directions from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The crackdown began at around 3 am on Saturday and was continuing when Singh addressed the media. He said 330 people had been arrested so far on charges related to fraud, with further arrests expected as the operation progresses.

Singh said the network was not confined to Assam, with several suspected fraudsters operating from other states. He said two people had so far been arrested from Guwahati in connection with the operation.

The police, however, did not find such offenders in some areas. Singh said no arrests of this nature were reported from Sadiya and Majuli, as well as some other districts, during the operation.

The DGP said the accused allegedly targeted both people who had lodged complaints and those visiting police stations in connection with various matters. They reportedly offered to intervene with police personnel or facilitate official processes in exchange for money.

Singh also said that he had personally received calls from fraudsters. “As the DGP’s phone number is available on the internet, I have received calls from such fraudsters myself,” he told reporters.

Cachar has emerged as a major hotspot in the crackdown, according to data shared by the Assam Police chief. Singh said the largest number of arrests had been made in Cachar, where the accused were allegedly involved in cybercrime and used digital platforms to defraud victims.

Earlier details released in connection with the operation indicated that the crackdown had covered 29 districts. Lakhimpur reported 15 arrests, followed by 13 in Nagarbera, 10 each in Bongaigaon and Goroimari, seven each in Morigaon and Dhubri, and five in Goalpara.

Four arrests each were reported from Bajali, Tamharhat and Sonatoli, while Chhaygaon recorded one arrest. Sivasagar and Golaghat reported two arrests each.

The statewide operation remains underway, with Assam Police expected to conduct further investigations and make additional arrests as they identify individuals allegedly involved in fraud, touting and cyber-enabled financial deception.