One held in C’garh for operating ‘mule’ accounts

Berhampur: A 36-year-old man from Chhattisgarh was arrested for allegedly operating at least five ‘mule’ accounts in private banks in the name of five persons from Berhampur, police said. ‘Mule’ accounts are bank accounts that facilitate illegal transactions by receiving and transferring funds from unlawful activities.

The accused, who hails from Bhilai in Durg district, opened the accounts in three banks here in April 2023, and around Rs 10 lakh has been transacted till date, Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M said.

Bank passbooks, cheque books, ATM cards and mobile phones were seized from his possession, he said.

The accused was allegedly involved in cyber crimes in various States, including Rohtak and Gurugram in Haryana, Kotwali in Uttar Pradesh and Hanuman Nagar in Rajasthan, the SP said.

The Berhampur police have got information about 346 ‘mule’ accounts in various banks from Samanvaya portal of Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (ICCC), a unit of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).