Gujarat’s Cyber Centre of Excellence of CID Crime has successfully dismantled an interstate mule bank account network linked to cyber frauds exceeding Rs 77 crore across 375 cases. The operation, conducted in Vadodara, Palanpur, and Goa, led to the arrest of 16 individuals involved in a coordinated system for cyber fraud and gaming-related offenses.
The arrests were made following intelligence inputs and directives from senior officers of CID Crime & Railways to enhance anti-cybercrime efforts. Raids were carried out under the supervision of senior police officers. The accused were found to have opened savings and current bank accounts in their own names and in the names of others, providing bank account kits and SIM cards to associates in cybercrime networks.
Five accused were apprehended in Vadodara, two in Palanpur, and nine in Goa. Among those arrested were individuals involved in creating fictitious firms to channel transactions through mule accounts. The main culprits, Kiran Joshi and Jitu Thakkar, along with others, were facilitating financial transactions through these accounts.
A significant amount of digital and financial evidence was seized during the operation. In Vadodara, police recovered 13 mobile phones, 13 cheque books, two passbooks, and four blank cheques. From Goa, authorities seized 15 laptops, 72 mobile phones, 126 SIM cards, 115 debit cards, and various other items. Investigators recovered details of over 260 bank accounts from the accused.
Analysis of the seized devices revealed bank statements, transaction records, login credentials, and cyber-fraud complaint documents. Communication via WhatsApp and Telegram groups suggested possible international linkages, with bank account details being shared with individuals in Dubai and other foreign locations. The syndicate was engaged in various cyber fraud activities, including digital arrest scams, investment fraud, UPI-related fraud, and gaming fraud.
The accused operated on a commission basis, providing banking infrastructure for illegal transactions. They procured bank account kits and SIM cards from genuine account holders and redistributed them within the network for illicit use. Authorities emphasized that bank account holders are legally responsible for all transactions conducted through their accounts.
