Authorities in Telangana have carried out a large-scale operation against cyber fraud networks, resulting in the arrest of 208 individuals linked to mule bank accounts used for financial scams across the country.
The action was part of “Operation Crackdown 1.0”, launched on February 25 by the Telangana State Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB). The operation led to the registration of 1,549 FIRs, identification of 626 suspects, and arrest of 208 accused.
Among those arrested were 2 bank employees, software engineers, 7 students, 15 women, 2 lecturers, and 1 government employee from the Electricity Department. The bank employees were associated with Bank of Maharashtra and Jubilee Hills Merchant Cooperative Bank.
According to Shikha Goel, the accused come from varied professional and social backgrounds, showing how widely cyber-enabled financial crimes are spreading.
Investigators said most of the accused acted as mule account holders, allowing cyber fraudsters to route illegal money through their bank accounts in return for commissions of up to 5% on each fraudulent transaction.
The operation was planned after the bureau analysed fraud data from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and identified suspicious bank accounts in Telangana linked to complaints from different parts of India.
During the simultaneous operation, 137 police teams with 512 personnel carried out surprise inspections at 137 bank branches across the state. Officials verified 1,888 suspicious mule bank accounts connected to 9,451 cybercrime cases nationwide, involving an estimated loss of about Rs 100 crore.
Police also seized 63 mobile phones along with 208 bank passbooks and cheque books that were allegedly used to support cyber fraud activities.
The accused individuals are between 19 and 45 years of age, indicating that people from different sections of society are being drawn into such illegal networks. Investigators also discovered that some mule accounts were created using fake identities, fabricated KYC documents, and proxy mobile numbers, enabling fraudsters to move money quickly across multiple accounts.
In one case in Warangal, a mule account holder was found using bank accounts belonging to family members to route fraud proceeds.
The investigation also identified 52 additional associates and facilitators who helped run the mule account network. Their roles included recruiting individuals to open accounts, arranging SIM cards, collecting ATM cards and PIN details, providing internet banking credentials, and coordinating withdrawals or fund transfers.
Authorities also arrested 2 bank employees for allegedly assisting irregular account openings and failing to follow proper KYC procedures. Officials found that 19 bank branches had more than 20 mule accounts, highlighting the need for stricter monitoring and stronger KYC checks in the banking system.
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