Palanpur: Chanasma police in Patan district have busted an interstate mule account racket that allegedly facilitated cyberfraud worth over Rs 7.16 crore, arresting 20 of the 33 accused booked in the case.The investigation revealed that a network operating in Chanasma, Itoda, Khambhel and Patan lured unsuspecting residents into renting out their bank accounts in return for monthly commissions. The accounts were allegedly used by cybercriminals to carry out a range of online frauds, including digital arrest scams, nude video blackmail, APK file and phishing link frauds, online betting and other financial crimes.The racket came to light through intelligence generated on the Samanvaya portal during Operation Mule Hunt 2.0. Police found that middlemen collected bank passbooks, ATM cards, cheque books and newly issued SIM cards from account holders after paying them commissions ranging from Rs 3,000 to Rs 15,000 a month. These banking credentials were then handed over to cyber fraudsters operating in different parts of the country.The probe uncovered suspicious transactions worth Rs 7.16 crore. Of this, Rs 5.16 crore was routed through 11 bank accounts linked to 35 cybercrime complaints registered across India, while another Rs 1.99 crore was traced to other suspicious accounts under investigation.Investigators are questioning the accused to identify the masterminds behind the racket and dismantle the wider interstate cyber fraud network.
