Surat: City police intensified their crackdown on cybercrime with “Operation Mule Hunt 2.0,” targeting networks involved in renting out of bank accounts that are used to route proceeds of online fraud. During a three-day drive from Sunday to Tuesday, police registered 58 offences and arrested 77 persons in cases linked to mule accounts and cyberfraud.Investigators said cases detected during the operation involved fraud of nearly Rs 24 crore. Only about Rs 1 crore could be frozen in bank accounts, highlighting the speed with which cybercriminals move money through layered transactions. Police said fraud proceeds are quickly transferred into multiple accounts, often across banks and states, before authorities can trace, freeze and recover the funds.Police found that mule accounts frequently belong to poor people. Such account holders allegedly hand over access to their bank accounts to the fraudsters in exchange for commissions, enabling criminals to receive and disperse illicit funds while masking the main perpetrators.“Police carried out similar drive against mule accounts around six months ago. In the second such operation, we started work a month ago and detected cases by resolving various technical and cyber challenges,” said Anupam Singh Gahlaut, city police commissioner.The operation was initiated about a month ago with a focus on gathering intelligence on suspicious accounts and identifying operators behind them. Multiple police teams were formed and complaints filed on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP) were scrutinized to map patterns and link accounts to specific fraud incidents.Police held a conference for better coordination with bank officials, fintech companies, telecom company officials and other stakeholders to verify account activity, trace digital footprints and identify suspects. As part of preparation, around 500 police personnel were trained on May 16 with support from cybercrime experts and chartered accountants to strengthen technical and financial investigation capabilities.To arrest suspects across India, 50 teams were constituted and assigned specific tasks. Using cybercrime and other investigation portals, teams tracked and detained accused from Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and other states.“Around 60% of these cases are investment fraud. This continued for over four to five months and the major chunk of stolen money has been transferred,” said Gahlaut.
