Police in Udaipur have arrested four Gujarat residents accused of recruiting people to supply bank accounts for online fraud.
How Did the Network Operate?
Police in Udaipur, Rajasthan, have uncovered an alleged network that used bank accounts belonging to financially vulnerable individuals to facilitate online transactions linked to cybercrime.
According to investigators, the suspects approached people who needed money and offered them commissions in exchange for access to their bank accounts. These accounts were allegedly used for transactions connected to online betting, gambling and gaming activities.
Police suspect that the network’s members also earned commissions from the arrangement, while the account holders received payments for allowing their accounts to be used. Such accounts, commonly called mule accounts, allow money to move through accounts held by people other than the suspected operators of a financial scheme.
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Who Has Been Arrested?
The Sukher police arrested four Gujarat residents identified as Sangha Bhai, Kiran Kumar, Hitesh Kumar and Pawan Darji. Police said the arrests followed a raid on a villa in the Kavita area of Udaipur, where the suspects were allegedly conducting financial transactions using multiple bank accounts.
Investigators seized electronic equipment and banking documents from the premises. The recovered material included three laptops, 19 Android mobile phones, 19 ATM cards, 19 bank passbooks and five cheque books.
Police believe the equipment and documents could help establish how the accounts were operated and identify additional people connected to the suspected network.
What Have Investigators Discovered?
Preliminary findings suggest that the accused targeted people experiencing financial difficulties and persuaded them to provide bank accounts in return for commissions. The accounts were allegedly used to transfer money associated with online betting, gambling and gaming transactions.
Investigators have also found indications that cybercrime complaints linked to some of the seized bank accounts were registered in several Indian states. Police are examining whether the suspected operation extended beyond Rajasthan and Gujarat.
The number of accounts involved, the total value of transactions and the identities of the ultimate beneficiaries have not yet been established. Authorities are also investigating how the accounts were obtained, who controlled their operations and whether additional intermediaries participated.
What Happens Next?
Police have registered a case under relevant provisions and are continuing their investigation into the suspected network. The seized phones, laptops, ATM cards, passbooks and cheque books will be examined to trace financial transactions and identify other possible participants. Investigators are also questioning the arrested men to establish the movement of funds through the accounts.
The case highlights how bank accounts belonging to financially vulnerable individuals can allegedly be recruited into wider online financial operations.
The Udaipur investigation illustrates the role mule accounts can play in concealing financial transactions. By offering commissions to account holders, suspected operators can move funds through accounts registered in other people’s names. Identifying the individuals controlling these transactions remains central to establishing the network’s full extent.
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