Gir Somnath Cyber Crime Police have busted an alleged ₹310 crore cyber fraud network operating through rented bank accounts, arresting five accused under “Operation Mule Hunt 2.0”. Investigators said the racket was linked to 290 complaints and involved suspicious transactions routed through mule accounts allegedly used by cyber fraudsters across the country.
The arrested accused have been identified as Akash Bharatkumar Pala of Veraval, Hiren Rajgor of Rajkot, Ashutosh Thakar of Khambhalia in Devbhumi Dwarka, Ajay Dafda of Rajkot, and Deepakgiri of Aparnath in Veraval. Police said the accused allegedly rented out bank accounts to cybercriminals in return for commissions.
₹310 Crore Transactions Traced Through Mule Accounts
According to officials, the racket came to light during the analysis of complaints registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and other coordinated databases. Technical surveillance and financial tracing helped police identify suspicious accounts and examine the movement of money linked to cyber fraud complaints.
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Police findings showed that one Bank of India account was linked to 193 complaints involving transactions worth nearly ₹282 crore. Another Canara Bank account was associated with 97 complaints, with suspicious transactions exceeding ₹37 crore. Together, the two sets of complaints pointed to illegal financial movement of about ₹310 crore.
Officials said the network operated through a mule account model, in which bank accounts were allegedly made available to fraudsters for moving illicit funds. The account holders or facilitators received commissions, while the accounts were used to layer transactions and make the money trail harder to trace.
Five Accused Held After Wider Network Emerges
Investigators said the breakthrough began with the arrest of one suspect, whose interrogation and digital analysis helped uncover the wider network. Multiple police teams were then deployed, leading to the identification and arrest of other accused allegedly involved in the racket.
Police believe the accused formed part of a structured financial crime ecosystem that supported cyber fraud by providing banking channels. The investigation is now examining whether the Gir Somnath network had links to larger interstate syndicates involved in online scams, fake investment frauds and digital payment-related offences.
Cyber crime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said mule account networks have become the backbone of modern cyber fraud. He said criminals lure people with small commissions and use their bank accounts to move illicit money across multiple accounts, making public awareness and account-holder vigilance critical.
Further Arrests Not Ruled Out
Officials said forensic examination of seized digital devices, banking records and transaction logs is underway. Investigators are trying to reconstruct the full financial trail, identify additional suspicious accounts and trace all individuals who facilitated the alleged fraud.
Police have not ruled out more arrests as the analysis of transaction patterns continues. Authorities said the operation is being treated as one of the major cybercrime crackdowns in the state because of the scale of suspicious transactions and the number of complaints linked to the accounts.
The public has been urged not to share bank account details, ATM cards, SIM cards or identity documents with unknown persons. Police warned that mule accounts have become one of the most widely used tools by cybercriminals to move fraud proceeds and conceal the source of illegal funds.
