Rs 826-Crore Cyber Fraud: Eight Held From Surat For Providing 82 Mule Accounts

The Gujarat police have arrested eight persons for opening 82 bank accounts in the name of fake companies and providing them to cybercriminals for committing frauds, officials said on Wednesday.

The arrests were made in connection with a probe into a nationwide cyber fraud involving more than Rs 826 crore, they said.

“Under Operation Mule Hunt in Gujarat, the Cyber Centre of Excellence arrested eight individuals from Surat who were allegedly involved in 1,229 cybercrime cases across India, with offences amounting to Rs 826 crore,” said the unit’s Superintendent of Police Rajdeepsinh Zala.

A total of 82 mule bank accounts were allegedly opened by the accused in the name of nine fake firms to conceal their identities. The accused persons then allegedly shared the details of the bank accounts with the cybercriminals, who targeted citizens.

According to the police, the cybercriminals used SMS, WhatsApp, and Telegram to create fake identities and cheated citizens by offering them plans to make “more” money, which was transferred to these bank accounts.

The arrested persons have been identified as Surat residents Abdulrab Abdul Qadir Chambadiya, Faizan Hanif Jusani, Sheikh Mohammed Zuber Mehboob, Mohammad Noor Ahmad Merchant, Yasin Noor Ahmed Merchant, Sarfaraz Mohammed Rafiq Juneja, Sheikh Sajid Mayuddin, and Memon Abdul Razak Ahmed.

Officials said that the accused earned commissions of varying amounts per account. Besides transferring money through these accounts to cyber gangs, they also withdrew cash and routed it through hawala.