Gujarat Police’s Cyber Centre of Excellence (CCoE) has apprehended 19 individuals in three separate operations dubbed “Operation Mule Hunt 2.0”. These arrests exposed alleged cybercrime networks utilizing mule bank accounts, fake businesses, and corporate accounts to facilitate cyber fraud amounting to over Rs 330 crore across various states. The investigations, based in Gandhinagar, targeted fraud networks operating from Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Surat, and other areas.
In the first case, authorities disclosed six recent arrests across three FIRs, with the total number of accused reaching eight in a mule account scheme originating from Vadodara. The newly apprehended individuals, residents of Vadodara, were accused of passing mule bank accounts through network members before reaching other suspects, including those currently at large. The police revealed that these accounts were linked to cyber fraud cases exceeding Rs 46 crore across multiple states.
The second investigation led to the arrest of Sagar Amrutiya from Ahmedabad, who allegedly orchestrated the opening and collection of mule accounts through fake businesses. Amrutiya, the second arrest in this case, was associated with creating fake firms to establish current accounts at banks, which were connected to cybercrimes amounting to over Rs 161 crore across different states. Officials noted Amrutiya’s criminal history and his intention to revive his network in Ahmedabad.
Abhilash Mishra, a Vadodara resident, was apprehended in the third case for allegedly providing his bank accounts to co-accused involved in a mule account racket. Mishra, while pursuing an MBA at Parul University, reportedly opened these accounts, which were linked to cyber fraud cases exceeding Rs 7.40 crore across various states. Additionally, six associates of an interstate syndicate were arrested for their involvement in supplying corporate bank accounts with bulk transaction capabilities.
