A major cyber fraud operation has been exposed in Jharkhand, revealing a sophisticated scheme that defrauded investors of approximately ₹30 crore. The Jharkhand CID’s Cyber Police unit conducted raids across six districts, leading to the arrest of seven individuals involved in the fraudulent activities. The investigation uncovered the use of 15,000 mule bank accounts to facilitate the illicit transactions.
The arrested individuals are accused of using mule accounts to launder money obtained through cyber fraud, with the funds disguised as investments. The raids, carried out in Ranchi, Lohardaga, Simdega, Palamu, Koderma, and Jamtara, yielded significant evidence, including mobile phones, SIM cards, ATM cards, and other documents.
Among the key arrests were Roshan Kumar and Satish Kumar from Ranchi, whose accounts held over ₹10 crore and ₹6.2 crore respectively. Their activities were linked to several states including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. Jitendra Kumar Pappu from Jamtara and Nurez Ansari from Lohardaga were also apprehended, with substantial sums in their mule accounts and connections to multiple states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi.
Other arrested individuals included Pranranjan Sinha from Palamu, Ganesh Chik Badaik from Simdega, and Rajendra Kumar Saw from Koderma. Their mule accounts were found to contain significant amounts of money, and their interstate links spanned Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala, and West Bengal.
The investigation was initiated after the Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) identified the extensive use of mule accounts by cybercriminals in Jharkhand. The police investigation revealed the intricate network used to transfer the ill-gotten gains. The fraudsters exploited these mule accounts to move money quickly and discreetly using UPI, making it difficult to trace the transactions. The probe is ongoing and authorities are working to identify other individuals involved in the scheme, as well as the full extent of the damage caused by the cyber fraud.