Agra |November 27, 2025: Agra police have arrested eight members of a sophisticated cyber fraud gang from a hotel in the Tajganj area. The gang was allegedly involved in opening high-limit bank accounts commonly known as mule accounts on behalf of foreign cybercriminals by luring unsuspecting individuals. Using these accounts, the syndicate transferred funds into crypto and US dollars within minutes, distributing the money across 40–50 mule accounts. One of the accused, Devendra Pratap Singh, reportedly received specialized training in Dubai.
Details of the Arrest
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) stated that the Cyber Cell received a tip-off that several individuals were staying at Hotel Jimmy in the Tajganj area and were engaged in mule account operations for cyber fraud. Acting on this information, police raided the hotel around 1 a.m. on Monday and arrested eight suspects. Four other members managed to flee before the raid.
The arrested individuals include: Ranveer Bhargava (Kailashpuri, Delhi), Saurabh Chaudhary (Nagal Khurd, Aligarh), Anuj (Bhagat Katra, Auraiya), Rahul Kumar (Kaveri Kunj, Agra), Devendra Pratap Singh (Sarvodaya Nagar, Prayagraj), Ajay Kumar (Pratap Nagar, Agra), Dhruvnath Pratap Singh (Ballipur, Firozabad), and Chiranjeevi Sharma (Phultti Bazaar, Agra).
Gang Modus Operandi
Sources said the accused would lure unsuspecting people into providing personal documents, which were then used to open mule accounts. Once the accounts were active, details such as debit cards and checkbooks were sent to the gang leader. When funds were deposited, foreign cybercriminals used specialized Chinese devices and applications to transfer the money within minutes across multiple mule accounts.
For each transaction, the accused earned a commission of approximately two percent, while the original account holders received only a nominal amount of INR 1,000–2,000. Police recovered WhatsApp chats and video evidence from the suspects’ mobile devices, which showed the sophisticated operation of distributing funds across 40–50 accounts. The accounts typically had transaction limits ranging from INR 75 lakh to INR 10 crore.
Seized Evidence
The police seized Nepali currency worth 215 rupees, INR 3,412, nine mobile phones, 42 debit cards, 11 checkbooks, and one vehicle. Videos on mobile devices and foreign IDs confirmed the gang’s links to an international cybercrime network.
Investigators noted that over the past 3–4 years, the accused opened hundreds of accounts and facilitated the transfer of crores of rupees for cybercriminals. However, the actual funds have not yet been recovered, and the total number of accounts involved remains unclear.
Mule Account Risks
DCP explained that mule accounts are used by cybercriminals to conceal and transfer illicit funds. The genuine account holders are often tricked into becoming unintentional accomplices, making it difficult for authorities to trace the original source of the funds.
International Links and Ongoing Investigation
Interrogation revealed that the gang was working for cybercriminals based in Cambodia, Myanmar, and other countries. Police continue to track down the remaining suspects who fled during the raid.
