Jamnagar | Gujarat Police have stepped up their crackdown on the illegal movement of money generated through cyber fraud under ‘Operation Mule Hunt’, registering 22 FIRs so far in Jamnagar district and naming 49 accused in connection with the cases. The accused are alleged to have opened and operated fake or mule bank accounts across multiple banks to transfer and conceal funds obtained through online scams.
Senior police officials said the operation is aimed at dismantling the financial backbone of cybercrime networks, which rely on mule accounts to break transaction trails and delay detection. Investigations have revealed that fraudsters systematically opened bank accounts in different districts and rotated money through multiple layers, making it difficult to identify the final beneficiaries.
₹14.40 lakh siphoned off in Jamnagar and Sikka-linked cases
In the latest phase of the operation, scrutiny of two bank accounts linked to Jamnagar and Sikka revealed that five account holders had illegally routed nearly ₹14.40 lakh. This led to the registration of two additional FIRs, taking the district-wide total to 22 cases.
At the Jamnagar City ‘C’ Division police station, a complaint was lodged by the state through Mayursinh Jagdishsinh Jadeja. Based on the findings, police registered a case against Jamnagar-based trader Vivek Parshottambhai Sabhaya and Ahmedabad resident Raj Champavat. Investigators said bank records pointed to suspicious transactions exceeding ₹10 lakh, which were allegedly part of a cyber fraud money trail.
Separate Sikka police case over ₹4.40 lakh transfer
In another case registered at Sikka police station, Police Head Constable Yuvrajsinh Pratapsinh Gohil filed a complaint naming Mohammed Shahnawaz Sahjadalam, Sunil Mohanlal Devda, and Vinod, a resident of Jodhpur in Rajasthan. The accused are alleged to have transferred and facilitated the movement of ₹4.40 lakh derived from cyber fraud activities.
Police said the money was routed through bank accounts specifically opened or misused for this purpose, indicating a clear pattern of mule account operations.
Morbi and Savarkundla accounts used for larger transfers
In Morbi district, cybercrime police registered a case involving the illegal movement of ₹38.42 lakh. The accused in this case include Jaydeep Puri Kishorpuri Goswami, Aryaman alias Uday Rajeshbhai Runja, Bharatbhai Parmar, and Abhiseksinh alias Abhirajsinh Dashrathsinh Jadeja. Investigators believe the funds were transferred through multiple accounts to disguise their origin.
Meanwhile, Savarkundla reported two separate cases involving transactions of more than ₹19 lakh. In the first, Irfanbhai Huseinbhai Pathan and Mubeenbhai Jibhaibhai Bhatti were accused of transferring ₹12.30 lakh linked to cyber fraud. In the second case, Vijaybhai Mansukhbhai Joliya and Vivekbhai alias Kano Maganbhai Solanki were booked for allegedly routing ₹7.17 lakh through mule accounts.
Deeper probe underway, interstate links suspected
Police officials said detailed examination of bank transaction trails, KYC documentation and digital evidence is underway in all cases. Investigators suspect the network may not be confined to Gujarat alone and could have interstate links with organised cyber fraud syndicates operating across multiple states.
Authorities are also coordinating with banks to flag suspicious accounts and freeze funds wherever possible.
