The Cyber Cell of the Mumbai Crime Branch has written to the Home Ministry demanding an annual budget of Rs 50 lakh to investigate cases, including those of app loans. The Cyber Cell has also demanded a separate budget for cyber experts, whose services are taken to investigate cases in Mumbai.

The cell has intensified action against online loan apps harassing the citizens across the city in the name of instant loans. “The cases we investigate have a direct link to fraudsters making calls from different parts of the country and most of the calls originate from north India. An officer has to travel to a different state for a case. Generally in one case it costs us around Rs 50,000 as travelling expenses,” said an officer from the Cyber Cell. “We have written to the government seeking a special budget of Rs 50 lakh and the amount will be distributed to the five cyber police stations in Mumbai,” the officer added.