Operation Mule Hunt 2.0: Gujarat Police trace Rs 2,562 crore in cyber fraud proceeds

Gandhinagar, June 13 (IANS) A statewide review meeting chaired by Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi earlier this month set the stage for what has become one of the state’s largest coordinated crackdowns on cybercrime-linked financial networks.

Held through video conference and attended by the then Director General of Police (DGP) K.L.N. Rao, city police commissioners and district police chiefs, the meeting directed law enforcement agencies to intensify action against mule bank accounts used by cybercriminals to receive, transfer and launder proceeds of online frauds.

The operation, named ‘Operation Mule Hunt 2.0’, was launched across Gujarat on June 2 following the review exercise.

Data accessed by IANS shows that between January 16 and June 13, the exercise resulted in 118 FIRs being registered across Gujarat and 238 accused being arrested.

Investigators initiated action against 1,326 mule accounts and identified 5,124 cybercrime-linked acknowledgement numbers across India, of which 540 were linked to Gujarat.

The total amount traced through these accounts stood at Rs 25,628,282,988, or about Rs 2,562.83 crore.

The Cyber Centre of Excellence (CCOE) in Gandhinagar recorded the largest financial exposure during the operation. It registered 11 FIRs, arrested 55 accused, took action against 198 mule accounts and identified 1,117 acknowledgement numbers, including 69 from Gujarat.

The accounts were linked to transactions worth Rs 802.28 crore. Anand district emerged as another major hotspot, with two FIRs, eight arrests, action against 150 mule accounts and identification of 722 acknowledgement numbers, including 75 linked to Gujarat.

The amount traced there stood at Rs 770.38 crore. Patan district registered one FIR but recorded one of the most significant financial trails.

Police arrested 14 accused, acted against 14 mule accounts and linked them to 228 acknowledgement numbers, including 20 from Gujarat.

The amount involved was Rs 398.43 crore. Gir Somnath district identified two mule accounts linked to 290 acknowledgement numbers, including 20 from Gujarat, with transactions worth Rs 319 crore.

Amreli traced approximately Rs 107.48 crore through 22 mule accounts and 87 acknowledgement numbers. Navsari uncovered transactions worth around Rs 94.08 crore linked to 12 mule accounts and 112 acknowledgement numbers.

Kutch East reported approximately Rs 13.97 crore through 105 mule accounts, while Valsad traced approximately Rs 2.12 crore, and Tapi identified Rs 12.75 crore.

Surat City recorded the highest enforcement activity in terms of criminal cases, registering 58 FIRs and arresting 77 accused.

Investigators acted against 132 mule accounts connected to 339 acknowledgement numbers, including 82 from Gujarat. The amount traced was Rs 23.25 crore.

Mehsana registered 12 FIRs and eight arrests while identifying 872 acknowledgement numbers linked to 12 mule accounts, one of the highest acknowledgement-number counts in the state.

Ahmedabad City registered four FIRs and seven arrests, Vadodara City recorded six FIRs and seven arrests, while Rajkot City registered two FIRs and four arrests.

Ahmedabad Rural acted against 411 mule accounts linked to approximately Rs 76.68 lakh; Bhavnagar identified 141 mule accounts and transactions worth Rs 8.49 crore; Mahisagar linked one mule account to Rs 82.95 lakh; Morbi traced Rs 22.44 lakh; Narmada detected around Rs 59.37 lakh; Surat Rural traced Rs 2.31 lakh; and Aravalli identified transactions worth Rs 1.85 crore.

Several districts, including Banaskantha, Bharuch, Botad, Chhota Udepur, Dahod, Dang, Devbhumi Dwarka, Gandhinagar district, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Kheda, Kutch West, Panchmahal, Porbandar, Rajkot Rural, Sabarkantha, Surendranagar, Vadodara Rural and Vav-Tharad, did not report action in the data period.

The second phase follows the conclusion of Operation Mule Hunt 1.0, which Gujarat Police described as one of its largest cybercrime crackdowns.

Official figures released at the end of the first phase showed that police registered 565 FIRs, arrested 638 accused, initiated action against 913 mule accounts and identified 4,052 cybercrime-linked cases across India, including 491 connected to Gujarat.

The operation uncovered cyber fraud transactions worth Rs 2,289 crore. Police have defined mule accounts as bank accounts knowingly or unknowingly handed over to cybercriminals for receiving, transferring or laundering money obtained through online fraud.

Investigations conducted during the first phase found that account holders often provided passbooks, ATM cards, cheque books, SIM cards and internet banking credentials to organised networks in return for commissions.

The accounts then became transit points for funds generated through investment frauds, digital arrest scams, phishing attacks, task-based frauds and other cybercrimes.

The latest figures indicate that the ongoing second phase of the operation has already surpassed the Rs 2,289 crore uncovered during Operation Mule Hunt 1.0.

In less than five months, investigators have linked Rs 2,562.83 crore to 1,326 mule accounts across Gujarat, highlighting the scale of the financial infrastructure supporting cyber fraud networks operating across the country.

–IANS

mys/dan