Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police achieved a major breakthrough against cyber fraud networks under the special statewide drive ‘Operation Cyber Kavach,’ officials said Tuesday. The month-long operation, carried out from February 13 to March 12, focused on dismantling mule bank account networks and fake SIM rackets that facilitate online financial fraud. According to police, as many as 39,714 mule bank accounts were verified across the state during the operation.
Investigations covered 1,315 mule account cases, 36 ATM withdrawal cases, 47 cheque withdrawal cases, and 24 cases involving fake SIM or PoS verification. Based on these probes, 379 accused persons were arrested, including 349 linked to mule account operations, nine involved in fake SIM networks, three connected to ATM withdrawals, and 18 in cheque withdrawal frauds. Police also issued notices to 7,549 suspected account holders and facilitators.
The drive targeted cybercrime networks across several districts, including Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Ganjam, Nuapada, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Balasore, Bhadrak, Puri, Jajpur, and Dhenkanal. Police also busted several interstate gangs involved in mule accounts, online betting, and cryptocurrency-based frauds, seizing SIM cards, ATM cards, vehicles, and digital devices during the raids.
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Notable cases included the arrest of an interstate mule account gang in Jharsuguda involved in fraud worth over Rs 5.25 crore, while Sambalpur police exposed a network linked to transactions of Rs 1.3 crore. In Cuttack, police cracked a mule account racket involving Rs 29.33 crore, while Bhubaneswar police dismantled a national syndicate running fake KYC and pre-activated SIM networks. The operation was launched under the chairmanship of DGP Yogesh Bahadur Khurania, with a coordinated strategy to curb organised cyber fraud.
Acting on directives issued at the state level, district SPs carried out synchronised raids with support from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, banks, and telecom service providers. The DGP congratulated police personnel and partner agencies for the successful execution of the drive and reiterated the force’s commitment to making Odisha increasingly resilient against cybercrime.
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