Operation Mule Hunt: Pune Police Book 23 Bank Account Holders Over ₹11.54 Crore In Suspicious Cyber Fraud Transactions
Operation Mule Hunt: Pune Police Book 23 Bank Account Holders Over ₹11.54 Crore In Suspicious Cyber Fraud Transactions
Pune, July 20: As part of the nationwide Operation Mule Hunt against cybercrime, Pune Police have registered cases against 23 mule bank account holders for allegedly facilitating suspicious transactions worth ₹11.54 crore linked to cyber fraud.
The action targets individuals who allegedly allowed cybercriminals to use their bank accounts to transfer and launder money obtained through online scams. Police said investigations are also underway to identify the masterminds behind the racket.
Acting on data received from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP), the Cyber Police verified multiple bank accounts across different financial institutions. The probe found that several accounts had been used to route funds generated through cyber frauds, including online share trading scams, digital arrest frauds, online job scams, remote access application frauds, and other cyber offences.
Joint Commissioner of Police Sanjay Darade said cybercriminals typically move stolen money through multiple bank accounts to conceal the money trail. These intermediary accounts, commonly known as mule accounts, are often provided by individuals in exchange for commissions.
To curb the growing misuse of such accounts, police have launched a focused crackdown on account holders who knowingly allow cybercriminals to operate through their banking facilities.
Accounts Used to Route Crores in Fraud Proceeds
During the investigation, police uncovered several high-value suspicious transactions across different police station jurisdictions.
In a case registered at Kharadi Police Station, more than ₹3.60 crore was routed through a single bank account within a few days. Investigators suspect the account was used in multiple cyber fraud cases.
Similarly, an account under the jurisdiction of Wagholi Police Station recorded transactions worth ₹1.76 crore, while another case registered at Airport Police Station involved the movement of ₹1.20 crore.
In a separate investigation by Baner Police Station, cyber fraud proceeds amounting to ₹65.50 lakh were traced to a private bank account. The account has been frozen, and police have sought its Know Your Customer (KYC) records. Preliminary findings indicate that the account was used to facilitate cyber frauds targeting victims in Thane, Nagpur, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka.
Police Warn Against Renting Out Bank Accounts
Cyber Police are examining the KYC details, financial transactions, mobile call records, and links between the account holders and cybercriminal networks.
Officials said the crackdown is aimed at dismantling the financial infrastructure that enables cyber fraud operations. They warned citizens against sharing or renting out their bank accounts, ATM cards, cheque books, or internet banking credentials in exchange for commissions.
Police cautioned that anyone found knowingly providing banking facilities to cybercriminals could be treated as a co-accused in cybercrime investigations.
