Cyber Kavach Busts ₹5.27 Crore Cyber Fraud Syndicate, Multiple Arrests Made

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Odisha Police Disrupts ₹5.27 Crore Cyber Fraud Operation, Arrests Multiple Suspects

In a significant breakthrough, Odisha Police have dismantled a large-scale cyber fraud syndicate responsible for suspicious transactions totaling over ₹5.27 crore.

The Operation

The operation, conducted under the ‘Cyber Kavach’ initiative, involved coordinated raids across multiple police stations, resulting in the arrest of several accused individuals.

The investigation began with the analysis of mule accounts, banking data, and digital transaction trails. This led to the identification of a complex network of accounts used to route fraudulent funds. Police seized a substantial number of passbooks, ATM cards, and mobile phones used by the suspects to facilitate the illicit transactions.

Arrests and Seizures

In one case, five suspects – Dheeraj Kumar Sah, Surim Sah, Chandan Das, Chinu Yadav, and Roshan Giri – were arrested and found to be in possession of 13 passbooks, eight ATM cards, and six mobile phones. Investigators discovered that nearly ₹2 crore had been routed through multiple bank accounts linked to the group, with funds layered across several accounts and withdrawn in phases to conceal the origin.

A separate case led to the arrest of Mohammad Akhtar, Vishal Singh, Faizan Qureshi, and a minor. Preliminary investigations revealed high-value transactions through UCO Bank accounts suspected to be mule accounts, where defrauded money was deposited and immediately transferred or withdrawn to break the money trail.

Another suspect, Karunakar Singh alias Karan, was arrested in connection with transactions exceeding ₹3 crore routed through Surjyoday Bank, UCO Bank, and Indian Overseas Bank. Two additional suspects, Abhishek Tiwari and Avinash Tiwari, were arrested and found to have accounts showing transactions of over ₹10 lakh.

According to police, the syndicate operated by luring individuals into opening bank accounts in their names with promises of easy money. The suspects would then retain the passbooks, ATM cards, and SIM cards, using these accounts to park, layer, and distribute cyber fraud proceeds. This mule account structure made it challenging to identify the masterminds behind the operation, as funds were rapidly moved across multiple banking channels.

Investigation and Crackdown

The crackdown followed technical analysis of transactions flagged on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre database. ATM withdrawal patterns, cheque clearances, and digital logs were correlated to identify the suspects. Interrogation has yielded leads on a wider network, and further arrests are expected.

Police have warned citizens against opening bank accounts on behalf of others, sharing ATM cards, SIMs, or banking credentials, and avoiding suspicious links or calls. Victims of cyber fraud have been advised to report incidents immediately on the national helpline 1930 or the NCRP portal to freeze funds in time.

As part of the ‘Cyber Kavach’ initiative, awareness campaigns will be conducted across the district to educate the public about mule accounts and evolving cyber fraud tactics. The operation will continue, with efforts focused on identifying the larger financial trail and dismantling associated networks.