Bhubaneswar: As a part of state wide operation to combat rising cybercrimes, the Odisha Police has made significant strides under Operation Cyber Kavach, a special drive targeting mule (benami) bank accounts used to launder money from online frauds.
Launched on the directives of Director General of Police (DGP) YB Khurania, the operation is being executed by District Cyber Crime Units under the supervision of Superintendents of Police (SPs) and Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) across all districts. So far, police have thoroughly checked 18,119 mule/benami bank accounts linked to various cyber frauds.
This intensive verification has led to the registration of 623 cases related to mule bank accounts, 28 cases involving fraudulent ATM cash withdrawals, 23 cases concerning cheque-based withdrawals, and 13 cases tied to fake SIM cards or Point-of-Sale (PoS) devices. A total of 262 accused individuals have been arrested in connection with these activities.
Additionally, legal notices have been issued to 4,152 suspected account holders and their helpers in new cases, while actions have been initiated in 141 old FIRs. The crackdown has seen active participation from districts across Odisha. Notable contributions include: Puri district, where 653 accounts were checked and 16 ATM-related cases registered.
Sambalpur, with 490 accounts verified and 4 cases filed.
Bhadrak, checking 327 accounts, registering 2 cases, and arresting 4 accused.
Jagatsinghpur, verifying 107 accounts and issuing notices to 17 people.
Ganjam, examining 220 accounts, registering 6 mule bank cases, arresting 1, and noticing 26 individuals.
Other districts like Jajpur, Kendrapara, Khordha, Bargarh, Balangir, Jharsuguda, Rourkela, Sundargarh, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Cuttack, Angul, and more have reported varying numbers of verifications, cases, arrests, and notices.
The Odisha Police emphasized its unwavering commitment to safeguarding citizens’ digital transactions. DGP Khurania stated that the campaign will be further intensified in the coming days, with the goal of making Odisha a cybercrime-free state.
