Assam's police force has rounded up close to 330 individuals accused of running fraud rackets, several of them posing as law enforcement officers, after a coordinated operation kicked off in the early hours of Saturday.
A Sweeping Weekend Operation
Director General of Police Harmeet Singh confirmed that teams across the state moved simultaneously against suspected con artists, and stressed that the drive has not wound down. He said the tally of detentions is likely to climb further as more leads are chased down and additional locations are covered.
How the Scams Worked
Investigators say the detained suspects relied on several different tricks to cheat victims. Some allegedly dressed up as officers of the law to intimidate targets, while others promised to make pending police cases disappear in return for payment. A third group is accused of cold-calling people with threats before pressuring them into handing over cash.
Trail Leads Outside Assam
Singh said some of the wanted men had already fled the state, with leads pointing to Hyderabad and Bengaluru among other cities. Teams have been dispatched to track these individuals down and bring them back within the reach of Assam's police.
Ordered From the Top
The DGP said the exercise had been rolling for some time but was scaled up specifically on the direction of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. "This special crackdown is being carried out as per the instructions of the chief minister," Singh said. Officials have not detailed how many locations were raided or how many teams took part, but the drive is being coordinated at the state level under the DGP's oversight.
A Wider Anti-Crime Push
The fraud sweep comes soon after Sarma revealed plans for a dedicated Anti-Narcotics Task Force within the state police, aimed at sharpening the fight against narcotics. That upcoming unit is expected to include specialised legal and financial wings, tasked with making it harder for those accused in drug cases to secure bail and with unpicking the financial systems that keep drug cartels running.
