In a major action against cybercrime, Pune Police have intensified efforts to break the financial network supporting online fraud by arresting 152 mule account holders and registering 132 criminal cases over the past 2 weeks. The operation is part of the nationwide Operation Mule Hunt, aimed at disrupting the money trail used by cybercriminals across the country.
The crackdown targets individuals who provide or rent out their bank accounts to fraudsters for receiving and transferring money obtained through cyber scams. Acting on intelligence shared by the Union Home Ministry’s Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Pune Police traced transactions linked to cybercrime complaints from multiple states and registered cases across police stations in the city.
A senior police officer said, “We have registered 132 cases in connection to the mule accounts that have been flagged in cases filed across India. Based on information received from banks and financial institutions, 152 accused have been arrested in these cases. Police have also begun action on 1,705 notices received through the national cyber crime portal from other states. Simultaneously, 2,099 notices have been issued from Pune to authorities in other states, seeking action against suspected mule account holders and others linked to cyber crime networks.”
Police said investigations are ongoing in several states, with arrests already made in Pune, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Charge sheets have also been filed in several cases.
The officer added, “We are examining the financial transactions, mobile call records, digital evidence and banking details of the accused to trace links with organised cyber crime syndicates. Mule account holders play a crucial role in helping fraudsters move stolen money quickly, making it difficult for law enforcement agencies to track the proceeds of crime. As a result, action is being taken not only against cyber fraudsters but also against those who knowingly provide bank accounts for illegal transactions.”
Along with enforcement, Pune Police have conducted cyber awareness programmes at 1,142 locations during 2026, reaching more than 3 lakh citizens through the Campus Connect – Safe Horizon initiative. Citizens have been advised not to share bank accounts, ATM cards, internet banking credentials, OTPs, SIM cards, Aadhaar, PAN details, or other personal information with strangers, as misuse could result in criminal prosecution.
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