Hyderabad: A major cyber fraud network running through bank ‘mule accounts’ has been busted in Karimnagar, with police arresting 13 persons, including two bank employees, after uncovering transactions worth a staggering ₹138 crore routed through just eight accounts.The arrests were made as part of ‘Operation Crackdown 1.0′, a focused drive against suppliers of mule accounts used by cyber fraudsters. Karimnagar police identified 24 suspects last month, and on Friday picked up 13 of them in connection with eight cases. Among those arrested are RBL Bank manager Bhuvanagiri Kalyan, 52, and cashier Ayesha Begum, 30, along with account holders and coordinators. Police said the accused include V Ramkumar (37) of Dharmaram in Peddapalli, N Srinivas (39) of Lakshmipur in Jagtial, K Raju (35) of Warangal, K Mahender (36), K Narahari (37) and K Rajesh (27) of Jagtial. Coordinators arrested include B Sairam (30) of Velgatoor, A Ranjith (36) of Buggaram, A Mallesham (37) of Dharmaram, B Rakesh (35) of Jagtial and B Pranay (25) of Ramadugu in Karimnagar. All the accused have been booked under sections 112 (petty organised crime) and 318(4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with section 66-D of the Information Technology Act. Karimnagar police commissioner Gaush Alam said fraudulent transactions amounting to ₹138 crore were carried out through these accounts before they were frozen. Investigations revealed that the bank employees allegedly violated KYC norms while opening the accounts, acting in collusion with the other accused.Police said the account holders and middlemen were paid commissions ranging from 0.4% to 2% by cyber fraudsters for providing access to these accounts, which were then used to route and withdraw illegal funds. Officials said the crackdown is part of a broader effort to dismantle the financial backbone of cybercrime networks, with further arrests likely as the investigation continues.
