Mumbai, July 2 (IANS) Amid the rising threat of cyber and digital crimes, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the Home Minister of the state, on Wednesday told the state council that during the last 10 years, over one crore investors were duped of Rs 22,552 crore in various investment schemes in the state, excluding Mumbai.

According to the Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai Police, 2.71 lakh investors were duped of Rs 2,95,451 crore in the last 10 years. Since 2016 up to May 2025, about 46,321 offences of cyber crimes were registered for duping investors of Rs 11,033.97 crore.

In a written reply to a question by Congress legislator Satej Patil and others, CM Fadnavis said in the year 2024 on the Maharashtra National Cyber Crime Reporting portal as many as 58,157 complaints of duping investors to the tune of Rs 1,187.46 crore were received.

In Mumbai, 31,583 complaints were received while there were 13,971 reports in Pune and 12,582 in Thane.

In 2025, as many as 540 complaints were received on the Maharashtra National Cyber Crime Reporting portal.

CM Fadnavis said that there are 50 cyber police stations operational across the state. In order to alert the citizens in advance about fraud schemes duping the investors, the government has established a Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) in the Mumbai Police Commissionerate while similar FIUs have been set up in the jurisdiction of the Police Commissioners and Superintendents of Police in the rest of the state.

The government has provided modern software and hardware to cyber labs and cyber police stations across the state for conducting speedy investigation of cyber crimes.

He said that the police officers and Constables were trained to detect cyber crimes while a modern lab has also been established to facilitate that.

The police are conducting a massive awareness campaign to warn citizens, students, teachers, administrative staff and others about cyber and digital crimes.

The citizens have been urged through social media, Internet and other mediums to keep a close vigil and remain alert about cyber crimes, said the Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, in another question raised by BJP legislator Parinay Fuke, CM Fadnavis said that 303 offences were registered in connection with mephedrone — often referred to by its street name, ‘Meow Meow’ in 2022, while 642 were registered in 2023 and 545 in 2024.

–IANS

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