JCCT-IV Hyderabad Meet Brings Together 13 States, 11 Agencies to Tackle Cybercrime

The Joint Cyber Crime Coordination Team (JCCT-IV), Hyderabad Region, was […]HYDERABAD: Officers from 13 states and 11 central and institutional agencies joined a joint cybercrime coordination meeting hosted by the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) in Hyderabad on Monday to strengthen action against organised, multi-state cybercrime networks. The Joint Cyber Crime Coordination Team (JCCT-IV), Hyderabad Region, was held at the Telangana Cyber Security Coordination Centre (TGiCCC) on November 3. The meeting brought together 45 officers from 13 other state law enforcement agencies, representatives of 11 central and institutional stakeholders, and police personnel from Telangana.

The participating states were Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The agencies represented included I4C, CERT-In, National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Intelligence Bureau (IB), National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) and Telangana's Information Technology, Electronics and Communications Department. DGP calls for shifting focus from recovery to prevention Telangana Director General of Police C V Anand inaugurated the meeting.

Principal Secretary to the Home Department and TGCSB director Shikha Goel outlined the agenda, while I4C chief executive officer Rajesh Kumar presented an overview of the national cybercrime situation. Anand said Telangana had been ranked first in the last two reviews by the Prime Minister's Office. He said cybercrime complaints increased by 24% across India in 2024-25, while Telangana recorded a 3% decline.

Financial losses in the state fell by 20%, compared with a 4% reduction nationally, he said.

"Cybercrime is now an organised industry, and we must shift from recovering money at the end of the chain to preventing the crime itself — denying criminals a target, a channel to reach the victim, a phone number and a usable account," Anand said.

He expressed hope that the recommendations emerging from the meeting would be taken to the Centre for coordinated action across the country. Officials seek intelligence-led multi-state investigations Goel said cybercrime had evolved into an organised transnational ecosystem, with masterminds and financiers often remaining beyond the reach of investigators even after scam centres were dismantled and bank accounts blocked.

"Criminals work as one network, we are constrained by jurisdictions," she said, calling for a shift from case-based investigations to intelligence-led coordination, real-time information sharing and joint operations across states.

Rajesh Kumar said scam compounds were moving from Southeast Asia to Africa, Sri Lanka and other locations. He said all states except one had notified their State Cyber Crime Coordination Centres (S4Cs). He also referred to the Supreme Court's hearing on digital arrests and said it provided an opportunity for states to place their concerns before the court.

Kumar outlined proposed second-generation reforms, including a unified investigation platform, a standard operating procedure for banks to enable them to stop suspicious transactions, and special nationwide operations targeting cybercrime infrastructure. Discussions focus on AI, mule accounts and online safety The sessions covered cybercrime prevention, inter-state investigation challenges, coordination with the Ministry of Home Affairs, investigation platforms, online crimes against women and children, and the legal framework and accountability surrounding artificial intelligence. Cyber law expert Pavan Duggal addressed the legal aspects of AI.

Officials also discussed AI-enabled detection methods and shared practices from Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Karnataka and Telangana. The deliberations focused on strengthening nodal officer networks and escalation protocols, improving the use of I4C platforms, and developing preventive measures involving banks, telecom operators and digital platforms. The recommendations were consolidated by the TGCSB director and will be circulated among participating states and agencies for follow-up.