Pune: The Pune city police have continued their crackdown under the nationwide Operation Mule Hunt campaign and registered over 140 FIRs at various police stations, while arresting 152 accused over the last three weeks.Pune city police and Maharashtra Cyber cell are jointly working on the campaign. The operation aims to dismantle the financial network supporting cyber criminals by taking strict legal action against those who knowingly allow their bank accounts to be used for fraudulent transactions and facilitate frauds.Senior inspector Swapnali Shinde of Pune cyber police told TOI: “Fraudsters have used mule bank accounts for transactions running into crores of rupees.”Police said notices have been issued in 1,705 FIRs received from other states through the coordination portal, while 2,099 notices have been sent from Pune to alleged holders of mule accounts in other states. Investigations are underway and chargesheets have already been filed in several cases following arrests made in Pune, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and other locations.Cyber police are examining the financial transactions, cellphone call records, digital footprints and banking activities of the accused to establish their links with cyber criminals. Officials said individuals who knowingly provide their bank accounts for illegal transactions can also face prosecution as co-accused for aiding cyber crimes.Shinde said, “We have appealed that citizens not share their bank accounts, ATM cards, cheque books, net banking credentials, OTPs, SIM cards, mobile numbers, email IDs, Aadhaar details or PAN information with strangers, warning that doing so could invite legal action.”
