Jharsuguda: In a major breakthrough under the special ‘Cyber Kavach’ drive, Odisha Police have busted a large cyber fraud syndicate involving suspicious transactions worth over ₹5.27 crore. After analysing mule accounts, banking data and digital transaction trails, teams carried out coordinated raids across multiple police station limits and arrested several accused. A significant number of passbooks, ATM cards and mobile phones used to route fraudulent funds were seized.
In Town Police Station Case No. 86/2026, five accused — Dheeraj Kumar Sah, Surim Sah, Chandan Das, Chinu Yadav and Roshan Giri — were arrested. Police recovered 13 passbooks, eight ATM cards and six mobile phones from their possession. Investigators said nearly ₹2 crore had been routed through multiple bank accounts linked to the group. The digital trail showed funds were layered across several accounts and withdrawn in phases to conceal the origin.
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In Sadar Police Station Case No. 91/2026, Mohammad Akhtar, Vishal Singh, Faizan Qureshi and a minor were apprehended. Five mobile phones were seized. Preliminary probe revealed high-value transactions through UCO Bank accounts suspected to be mule accounts, where defrauded money was deposited and immediately transferred or withdrawn to break the money trail.
In Airport Police Station Case No. 33/2026, Karunakar Singh alias Karan was arrested. His accounts reflected transactions exceeding ₹3 crore routed through Surjyoday Bank, UCO Bank and Indian Overseas Bank. In another case at Badmal Police Station (Case No. 62/2026), Abhishek Tiwari and Avinash Tiwari were arrested, and passbooks and mobile devices were seized. Their accounts showed transactions of over ₹10 lakh.
Police said the syndicate operated by luring individuals to open bank accounts in their names on the promise of easy money. The accused then retained the passbooks, ATM cards and SIM cards and used these accounts to park, layer and distribute cyber fraud proceeds. This mule account structure made it difficult to trace the masterminds as funds were rapidly moved across multiple banking channels.
The crackdown followed technical analysis of transactions flagged on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre database. ATM withdrawal patterns, cheque clearances and digital logs were correlated to identify the accused. Interrogation has yielded leads on a wider network, and further arrests are likely.
Police have urged citizens not to open bank accounts on behalf of others, not to share ATM cards, SIMs or banking credentials, and to avoid suspicious links or calls. Victims of cyber fraud have been advised to immediately report incidents on the national helpline 1930 or the NCRP portal so that funds can be frozen in time.
As part of the ‘Cyber Kavach’ initiative, awareness campaigns will be conducted across the district to educate the public about mule accounts and evolving cyber fraud tactics. Police said the drive will continue, with efforts focused on identifying the larger financial trail and dismantling associated networks.
About the author — Suvedita Nath is a science student with a growing interest in cybercrime and digital safety. She writes on online activity, cyber threats, and technology-driven risks. Her work focuses on clarity, accuracy, and public awareness.
