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India’s TGCSB (Telangana Cyber Security Bureau) worked with the Women Safety Wing to crack down on dark web child pron.
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The officers went undercover in Telegram groups, posing as ordinary users to identify administrators and trace sources of obscene content, which led to several arrests.
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Following the establishment of a specialized Child Protection Unit by the TGCSB, First Information Reports (FIRs) registrations surged significantly from 26 to 866 and arrests went from 31 to 421 arrests within a year.
In a significant digital sting, Telangana police have gone undercover on encrypted platforms. They are dismantling networks that trade in child sexual abuse material.
The operation specifically targets hidden layers of the internet. This includes private Telegram groups and the dark web, where such crimes thrive.
The Undercover Strategy
The use of encrypted messaging apps like Telegram to carry out illegal activities is now the order of the day for criminals. After the state of Telangana’s Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) discovered that some groups were circulating child pornography through this means, they decided to adopt an undercover approach.
This tactic of infiltrating hidden digital ecosystems is a critical tool for modern law enforcement worldwide, as seen in a major FBI undercover sting that successfully targeted the global cybercrime supply chain.
Officers began posing as ordinary users to join these groups. This allowed them to find out who is running the groups, trace where the abusive content is coming from, and monitor the key suspects closely. The approach was part of a larger cyber patrolling initiative established in conjunction with the state’s Women’s Safety Wing.
Record Arrests and a Major Rescue
The undercover work led to concrete, large-scale action. In a recent statewide crackdown, 18 special TGCSB teams arrested 34 individuals.
The arrests include 24 repeat offenders and 10 “mule account” holders involved in producing, storing, and circulating illegal material. As a result of this investigation, a four-year-old girl was rescued. The police found out that, unknown to the girl’s parents, a 24-year-old security guard was the one producing and circulating videos of her abuse.
The accused range from 18 to 48 years old, with victims primarily aged 4 to 14. One arrested repeat offender is a junior assistant in a state government irrigation department. Under the Information Technology Act and the POCSO Act, the police have registered 24 FIRs.
The Fight Against Online Exploitation
In February last year, the TGCSB created a new unit, the Child Protection Unit (CPU), dedicated to handling child exploitation complaints. After the new unit sprang into action, everyone saw the result – the number of cyber tipline reports handled increased to 120,000 in 2025, a significant increase from the 28,583 recorded the previous year. FIR registrations rose as well, from 26 to 866, while arrests went from 31 to 421, over the same period.
According to reports, the CPU submitted 6,000 reports to law enforcement in other Indian states for coordinated action.
Tracking Money Trails and More Arrests
The investigation follows a substantial financial trail. This focus on financial forensics is a critical component of modern Indian cyber-policing, as seen in other major successes like the bust of an ₹84 crore ($10M) cyber scam leading to 12 arrests. TGCSB teams have detected suspicious transactions worth ₹26 crore linked to 37 cases across India, 14 of which are in Telangana.
The officers aren’t working alone – they have help from both local and international partners, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) in the US and the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in India.
Apart from the external tips, Telangana has also developed its own advanced cyber patrolling system. This system uses technology to break into dark web links and conduct “soft checks” on individuals searching for illegal content online.
The Fight Continues
The operation sends a strong message. Currently, digital platforms can be monitored using an ‘invisible eye’, which is serving as a monitoring tool to identify people using methods like financial laundering & police undercover units.
These efforts prove that nowhere is safe for those who exploit children, not even encrypted platforms, because if law enforcement puts their mind to it, they can find them. The rescue of the four-year-old girl is proof that this hard work is not for nothing.
