The Cyber Crime Police in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, have dismantled an organized network involved in routing fraudulent funds through mule bank accounts and bogus mobile connections. Three key suspects were arrested during an operation in the Sikriganj area. Investigators recovered 20 SIM cards, packaging material, and three mobile phones used to facilitate illicit online transactions across multiple layered bank accounts.
Unraveling the Layered Payment Network and Fake Identifications
The arrested individuals have been identified as Aman Kumar, a resident of Israuli Farendiya Buzurg, Santosh Kumar from Barigaon, and Satyam Singh from Dhakva Bazaar. Police investigations revealed that the group specialized in acquiring bank accounts in the names of unsuspecting local residents and pairing them with fake SIM cards to establish untraceable mobile banking profiles. Using linked QR codes, the syndicate received proceeds from various cyber frauds and immediately transferred the funds through secondary accounts to obscure the money trail.
The police investigation was initiated following a formal complaint filed by Ajit Vishwakarma, a resident of Barigaon. According to the complaint, Aman Kumar helped Vishwakarma open a Jio Payments Bank account, which was subsequently exploited to receive approximately ₹48,500 derived from cyber fraud activities. The complainant also alerted authorities that the group was making preparations to open additional accounts under similar pretexts to expand their fraudulent operations. Following a technical analysis of digital footprints, banking transactions, and phone records, law enforcement traced and apprehended all three suspects, who have since been remanded to judicial custody.
Strategic Crackdown on Mule Account Syndicates in Gorakhpur
Recovered mobile devices and digital materials have been preserved for detailed forensic examination to map out the network’s broader linkages, identify upstream cybercriminals, and determine the full scale of financial movement through these mule accounts. Police officials confirmed that efforts are ongoing to trace the ultimate beneficiaries of the laundered funds.
This arrest marks the latest in a series of targeted enforcement drives by Gorakhpur police against digital financial crimes. On June 11, Kotwali police arrested three individuals involved in converting mule accounts into Google Pay merchant profiles and distributing fake QR scanner boxes, seizing over 1,300 sound boxes and 866 QR scanners. Earlier on July 16, Sahjanwa police arrested another key operative, Manisha, for systematically opening fraudulent corporate bank accounts. Police authorities have advised citizens to remain vigilant, refrain from handing over banking credentials or SIM cards to third parties, and report suspicious transactions immediately to the national cyber helpline at 1930 or through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
