The Crime Investigation Department of Jharkhand Police has exposed a massive cyber fraud network involving more than 15,000 mule bank accounts. The operation was carried out in coordination with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
A mule account refers to a bank account used by criminals to receive, transfer, or launder illegal funds, sometimes without the knowledge of the account holder and sometimes with their involvement.
Jharkhand DGP Anurag Thakur said that these accounts were allegedly used by cyber criminals to hide funds collected through fraudulent investment schemes. He added that an FIR was lodged in connection with the case last month.
Based on inputs from the centralised I4C portal, the CID launched a special operation targeting layer 1 mule accounts that handled high-value transactions of ₹10 lakh or more. According to a CID statement, 40 such accounts were named in an FIR registered on July 29 under several sections of the BNS and the Information Technology Act. So far, seven people have been arrested in the investigation.
Authorities said the arrested individuals operated mule accounts that were mainly used to channel funds from fraudulent investment operations. Forensic analysis and interrogations have revealed that the cyber crime syndicate has strong interstate connections and operates across multiple states.
Bank accounts run by the accused were linked to fraud complaints reported in Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Delhi. These complaints were filed through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
The arrested individuals include Roushan Kumar from Ranchi, whose bank account routed more than ₹10.2 crore, and Rajendra Kumar Saw from Koderma, whose account was linked to fraud of ₹67 lakh.
Another accused, Pran Ranjan Sinha from Palamu, maintained an account with transactions exceeding ₹1.6 crore. Jitendra Kumar from Jamtara was found operating an account that channelled ₹5.1 crore across several states, including Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, and Delhi.
The highest fraudulent amount was connected to Satish Kumar from Ranchi, whose bank account recorded transactions worth ₹6.2 crore.
Investigating cyber officers have seized eight mobile phones, 12 SIM cards, nine ATM cards, four passbooks, nine cheque books, one business registration certificate, and WhatsApp chat records related to the fraud.
Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
Do Follow: The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News LinkedIn Account | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Facebook | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Youtube | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Twitter |The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Whatsapp Channel | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Instagram
About us:
The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News is a premier platform dedicated to delivering latest news, updates, and insights from the tech industry. With its strong foundation of intellectual property and thought leadership, the platform is well-positioned to stay ahead of the curve and lead conversations about how technology shapes our world. From its early days as CIO News to its rebranding as The Mainstream on November 28, 2024, it has been expanding its global reach, targeting key markets in the Middle East & Africa, ASEAN, the USA, and the UK. The Mainstream is a vision to put technology at the center of every conversation, inspiring professionals and organizations to embrace the future of tech.
