Bhubaneswar: Rourkela Police successfully busted an organized cybercrime and money-laundering racket with the arrest of 14 persons, including two bank officials from Bandhan Bank and IDBI Bank.
The syndicate allegedly operated a large-scale operation, using mule bank accounts to facilitate cybercrime and launder money across India and abroad.
About their The modus operandi, police said, the gang used to recruit petty criminals, including those in jail, to arrange bank accounts, activated SIM cards, and identity cards of unsuspecting individuals using forged documents and impersonation. These accounts were then sold or rented to cybercriminals across India for Rs 8,000-10,000 each. The accounts were used as pass-through accounts to receive fraudulent proceeds from cybercrime victims and layered to obscure the money trail, with funds eventually siphoned off within India and abroad.
Acting on intelligence, the Rourkela Police launched a coordinated operation under the supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police Shrabanee Nayak and Deputy Superintendent of Police Serofina Xess. The police teams from RN Palli, Plant Site, Bondamunda Tarang, and Sector-7 Police Stations conducted raids, arresting five accused on August 9, 2025, and nine more on August 12, 2025, bringing the total arrests to 14.
The syndicate had international links to Dubai (UAE) and Nepal, which are currently under investigation. The police believe the fraud runs into crores, and the involvement of more bank insiders from different banks is suspected, given the volume of accounts opened with forged documents and without adequate scrutiny.
Rourkela SP Nitesh Wadhwani urged banks to sensitise their staff to avoid falling into the trap of fraudsters.
