Gandhinagar: In a major crackdown on digital financial crime, the Cyber Centre of Excellence (CCOE) of the Gujarat Police CID Crime has carried out Operation Mule Hunt 2.0, exposing a massive network involved in cyber fraud worth ₹622 crore. The month-long intensive drive led to the arrest of 40 individuals and the detection of 1,039 cybercrime complaints from across the country.

According to an official press release, the operation was conducted under the direction of DGP (CID Crime and Railways) Dr. K. Lakshmi Narayanan Rao and IG Bipin Ahire. Specialised teams carried out coordinated raids in Surat, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, and Unjha, targeting organised gangs that used “mule accounts” to launder money obtained through various online scams.

Key findings from the operation include:

Surat and Bhavnagar: Authorities uncovered fraud worth ₹174 crore linked to 181 complaints nationwide and 81 FIRs. Police seized a laptop containing data of 125 firms, 868 fake invoices, and 65 identity documents.
Two individuals were arrested, Mukesh Devabhai Mer (23), a resident of Ganesh Gadh village near Bhadbhid toll naka in Bhavnagar and Fardinkhan Nasirkhan Pathan (22), a resident of Ruvapari Road near Jogivalni Tanki in Bhavnagar

Unjha: A separate network involving fraud worth over ₹114 crore across 125 complaints was busted. The accused arrested include Akshay Mahendrabhai Patel and Devendra Kantibhai Patel.

Rajkot: Four suspects, Chetan Amlani, Jatin Kakkad, Kapil Kotak, and Mahendrabhai Kohkia, were arrested in connection with 26 complaints involving fraud of approximately ₹59.79 lakh.

Modus Operandi: Mule Account Network

Investigations revealed that the accused opened bank accounts in the names of individuals or firms in exchange for commissions. These “mule accounts” were used to receive funds from cyber frauds, including UPI scams and fake investment schemes. The money was then quickly withdrawn, converted into cash, and routed through traditional angadia networks to obscure the digital trail.

Police Advisory

The Cyber Centre of Excellence has warned that account holders are legally liable for all transactions carried out in their names. Citizens have been urged not to share bank details or “rent” their accounts for monetary gain.

Victims of cybercrime, including sextortion or video-call scams, are advised to report incidents immediately via the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) or at the nearest cyber police station. Authorities assured that complainants’ identities will be kept confidential in sensitive cases. DeshGujarat