Hyderabad:

Official data says 1,942 drug-related cases were registered in Telangana last year, leading to 4,682 arrests. In contrast, 24,643 cybercrime cases were reported, but just 1,057 suspects were linked to 19,653 cases, and only 186 arrests were made.

Most of the kingpins are operating from outside the state. In cybercrime, many offenders are based in Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Delhi and other northern states, using online platforms to con victims. The scam comes to light only when the victim files a complaint, and by then, the trail often runs cold.

Catching them is one thing, but keeping them in check is the real challenge. In a troubling trend, criminals involved in cyber and drug-related offences are managing to secure bail and then disappearing only to restart their illegal activities elsewhere. In drug trafficking cases, the situation is no less complex. Nigerian nationals residing in Goa, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi are reportedly using local guides as mules to transport drugs into Telangana. These local peddlers often don't know who is behind the supply chain, making it even harder to trace and nab the masterminds.

Even when police succeed in arresting suspects, sometimes through interstate raids led by the Cyber Security Bureau, they often manage to obtain bail and go underground. In 2024, the bureau nabbed 27 accused in one such large-scale raid. However, many suspects, once released, slipped away and re-entered the crime network under a new guise.

To combat this cycle, authorities are now considering measures like filing charge sheets swiftly before the grant of bail, enhancing coordination with police across states and monitoring the accused individuals after bail.

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