Bhubaneswar: In a significant breakthrough, Sambalpur police arrested nine persons, including the kingpin from Jharkhand, for allegedly operating a network of mule accounts to facilitate fraudulent transactions amounting to approximately Rs 50 lakh.
The prime accused, Anil Kumar Mandal (37), a resident of Murlidhi village in Jharkhand’s Jamtara district, was apprehended near the Ainthapali bus stand based on specific intelligence. Eight other accused — Bhisma Padhan (25), Pramod Tandia (36), Uttam Jagdala (36), Achyuta Bira (23), Debendra Majhi (25), Goutam Jagdala (29), Rinku Bag (30), and Srikanta Tandia (25) — hail from various parts of Sambalpur district.
During the search operation, police recovered 35 bank passbooks, 22 ATM cards, two cheque books, multiple SIM cards, mobile phones, two fake Aadhaar cards, and Rs 930 in cash from Anil’s possession. The Aadhaar cards bore the same photograph with different ID numbers, indicating the use of forged identities for financial fraud.
“Anil was formally arrested on September 21 and remanded to police custody on September 24. During interrogation, he disclosed the names of 16 account holders involved in the racket,” said Sambalpur SP Mukesh Kumar Bhamoo at a press briefing on Friday. “It has come to light that Rs 50 lakh was funneled through 15 mule accounts.”
Anil reportedly acted in collaboration with one Vicky Mandal of Dhanbad, Jharkhand. Together, they orchestrated the creation of mule accounts using forged documents and recruited individuals from Sambalpur by promising them commissions per transaction.
“The entire racket was being operated from Jamtara. Anil acted as an agent in Sambalpur, luring locals into the scheme. Villagers under the Sasan and Jamankira police limits were persuaded to provide their bank accounts and identity documents in exchange for money,” the SP said.
According to police, account holders were initially paid Rs 5,000 to open accounts. Subsequently, they earned a commission for each transaction. Some of these accounts saw transactions amounting to over Rs 1 crore.
A case has been registered under Sections 61(2), 338, 336(3), 340(2), 319(2), and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). A manhunt is underway to trace other individuals linked to the syndicate.
“The verification process is ongoing and further investigation is in progress to uncover the full extent of the fraud,” Bhamoo added.
