Background and Timeline: On February 12, 2026, the Kolkata Police at Lalbazar received administrative approval from the state government to expand its existing cyber cell into a full-fledged Cybercrime Branch. The proposal was initially submitted in August last year and received the final green signal from the governor’s office this Thursday. The expansion comes after the city recorded a significant 30,540 cases of cyber fraud over the 2024–25 period.

Modus Operandi: The new Cybercrime Branch (CCB) is organized into seven specialized wings, each lead by separate Officers-in-Charge (OCs) to handle specific digital threats. These units include an organized cybercrime section, a cyber safety and safety section, and a dedicated social media monitoring cell. This structural shift allows for a more focused approach, moving away from a single general unit to task-specific divisions that can pre-empt attacks and provide faster forensic support.

Victims and Financial Impact: Kolkata has reported a staggering ₹482 crore loss to cyber fraud over the past two years, with senior citizens accounting for 80% of the victims. The branch expansion is a direct response to these losses, aiming to improve upon the 2025 recovery rate of 18% (which rose from 10% in 2024). The new structure is expected to reduce the time it takes for citizens to recover money stopped at bank gateways.

Investigation and Agencies Involved: The branch will procure advanced software and hardware through the Nirbhaya Fund under the modernization scheme of the Kolkata Police. It will feature a cyber forensics laboratory and a coordination section to improve communication with interstate agencies, which has been a recurring complaint. The branch will also manage a specialized “blocking cell” to permanently disable fraudulent SIM cards and malicious URLs.

Arrests and Suspects: While the branch itself is an organizational development, the team recently busted an international racket in Maheshtala on February 7, arresting eight suspects who targeted U.S. citizens. The expansion is designed to facilitate more such operations by providing the manpower and technical resources needed for round-the-clock digital surveillance. The team is currently being upskilled in handling AI-generated deepfakes and fake hotel booking portals.

Broader Implications and Trends: The expansion signals that cybercrime is now a top-tier priority for the city’s leadership, matching the intensity of the threat. By creating task-specific units, Kolkata is moving toward a professionalized “whole-entity approach” to digital security, which is becoming a global standard. The creation of two joint commissioner-level positions (Cyber and Legal) underscores the increasing importance of legal coordination in interstate digital investigations.