Jalore | In a significant crackdown on the financial infrastructure supporting cybercrime, Jalore District Police and the Cyber Police Station have arrested seven accused under a special campaign named “Operation Mule Hunter.” Investigators claim to have uncovered suspicious financial transactions worth approximately ₹4.20 crore routed through a network of bank accounts allegedly used by cyber fraudsters to move and conceal illicit funds.
According to police officials, the operation was launched to identify and take action against individuals accused of supplying bank accounts, SIM cards, and other digital resources to cybercriminals. During the investigation, authorities identified several accounts allegedly functioning as “mule accounts,” a term commonly used for bank accounts that are exploited to receive, transfer, and layer funds obtained through cyber fraud while obscuring the identity of the actual beneficiaries.
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Preliminary findings revealed that 16 such accounts had allegedly received and processed nearly ₹4.20 crore in suspicious transactions. Investigators believe these accounts played a critical role in facilitating the movement of funds generated through various online fraud schemes. Following surveillance and analysis of financial activities, police arrested seven individuals suspected of acting as key intermediaries within the network.
Officials stated that the accused are believed to have served as an important link between cyber fraud syndicates and the banking system. Investigators are examining whether the suspects knowingly provided banking and communication resources to organised cybercriminal groups operating across different regions.
During the operation, police seized several items allegedly used in cybercrime-related activities. The recovered material includes six mobile phones, four ATM cards, one cheque book, two PAN cards, and other documents considered relevant to the investigation. Authorities expect the seized evidence to help establish connections between account holders, intermediaries, and the beneficiaries of the suspected transactions.
The investigation has also revealed the possible involvement of additional account holders whose activities have come under scrutiny. Police said preventive action has been initiated against 58 other suspected mule account holders. Authorities have reportedly issued legal warnings and imposed restrictions aimed at preventing them from engaging in similar activities in the future. Their financial and digital activities are also being monitored as part of the ongoing inquiry.
Cybercrime investigators note that mule accounts have become an essential component of modern online fraud operations. Instead of transferring stolen funds directly to the masterminds behind a scam, cybercriminals often route money through multiple accounts to create layers of transactions and make tracing the ultimate recipients more difficult. Such tactics significantly complicate financial investigations and delay the recovery of fraud proceeds.
Investigators believe organised cybercrime groups increasingly recruit individuals to open bank accounts or provide SIM cards in exchange for commissions or other incentives. In many cases, economically vulnerable individuals are targeted and persuaded to share banking credentials, while others may be recruited through deceptive offers of quick earnings. These accounts are then integrated into larger networks used for laundering cybercrime proceeds.
The police team handling the case is currently examining banking records, mobile data, call details, and digital transaction trails to identify additional beneficiaries and facilitators linked to the suspected network. Officials believe that questioning of the arrested accused may reveal connections to cyber fraud groups operating beyond Rajasthan and potentially across multiple states.
Experts consider financial trail analysis one of the most effective tools in combating cybercrime. Investigators are therefore focusing not only on the account holders but also on tracing the movement of funds through multiple layers of transactions. The objective is to determine who ultimately received the money and whether a larger organised network was coordinating the operations.
Renowned cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said that modern cybercriminals increasingly rely on organised social engineering ecosystems that exploit bank accounts, digital identities, and communication channels. According to him, action against mule account networks can significantly weaken the financial backbone of cyber fraud syndicates and disrupt their ability to move illicit funds.
Police officials said the investigation remains ongoing and further action cannot be ruled out. Authorities are continuing to connect financial trails, digital evidence, and communication records in an effort to identify every individual involved in the suspected cybercrime network and dismantle the broader ecosystem supporting such fraudulent activities.
