In a major move against organised cybercrime, Pimpri-Chinchwad Police has launched Operation Mule Hunt to identify, freeze and prosecute mule bank accounts used to receive and transfer money stolen through online frauds. Investigators believe dismantling these financial networks is essential to disrupting cybercrime operations across India.
According to the police, many of the bank accounts are registered under company names such as web development agencies and real estate firms. However, several of these businesses exist only on paper and have no real commercial activity. These accounts are allegedly used to receive and launder money from scams involving fake stock market investments, digital arrests, part-time job offers and matrimonial fraud.
Acting on intelligence shared by the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), police have registered 15 criminal cases over the last 3 days against suspected mule account holders. The action followed the tracing of financial transactions linked to cybercrime complaints from multiple states through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) and the SAMANVAYA Portal.
Investigators cited several cases, including a grocery business account that recorded Rs 94 lakh in deposits and withdrawals within 11 days and was linked to 13 cybercrime complaints across 5 states. Another account registered under a web developer handled Rs 55 lakh in cybercrime-related transactions within 3 days, while a paper-only real estate company account processed Rs 20 lakh in just 1 week.
“The operation is based on analysis of data available through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) and the SAMANVAYA Portal, which aggregate complaints and financial intelligence from across India. By matching suspicious transaction trails with bank accounts operating within Pimpri Chinchwad limits, investigators identified accounts that repeatedly surfaced in complaints involving cyber fraud,” said a police officer.
Police said cybercriminals often recruit unemployed or financially vulnerable individuals through Telegram, WhatsApp and other social media platforms, offering commissions in exchange for bank account details. Authorities warned that anyone renting, selling or allowing others to use their bank accounts could face criminal prosecution if those accounts are used to launder fraud proceeds.
“With cybercrime increasingly becoming a battle of financial intelligence rather than just digital forensics, Operation Mule Hunt reflects a shift in policing strategy, from merely chasing anonymous scammers to systematically dismantling the banking infrastructure that keeps cyber fraud networks alive,” said the officer.
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