Arrest seven accused, expose 313 mule bank accounts
Panaji: In one of the largest coordinated operations against cyber-enabled financial crime in recent years, Goa Police has arrested seven accused, issued notices to 24 others and identified over 300 mule bank accounts linked to cyber frauds worth over Rs 2.5 crore by launching ‘Operation Cyber Vigil’, a multi-state enforcement drive.
Jointly executed by the cyber crime police station and the Crime Branch, the operation was designed to dismantle organised cyber fraud syndicates operating across several states.
Police described the initiative as an intelligence-driven operation aimed at tracing suspects involved in multiple cyber financial fraud cases registered in Goa.
As part of the drive, nearly 40 police teams fanned out across the country, simultaneously conducting raids and investigations at more than 40 locations in 11 states: West Bengal, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Karnataka and Assam. The coordinated action covered nearly 40 cyber fraud cases involving a cumulative defrauded amount of Rs 2,50,65,402.
During the operation, Goa Police arrested seven accused persons in connection with various cyber fraud cases and served notices under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to 24 other suspects.
The investigators also seized 21 electronic devices, including digital equipment that will undergo forensic examination to
trace money trails, recover digital evidence and identify additional members of the organised fraud networks.
A key outcome of the operation was the identification and verification of 313 mule bank
accounts linked to cyber frauds within Goa. Police verified the antecedents of accountholders and examined their possible links to larger organised cybercrime syndicates. Authorities also coordinated with police agencies in the respective states where these accounts had been reported to strengthen the ongoing investigation.
The operation was carried out under the close supervision of DIG Range and Crime Ved Prakash Surya, alongside the overall guidance of IGP K R Chaurasia and DGP Alok Kumar.
Goa Police said that it will continue similar intelligence-based operations to identify organised cybercrime syndicates and protect citizens from emerging digital threats.
