Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Police has verified 9,376 mule or benami bank accounts and arrested 216 accused persons as part of its ongoing statewide special campaign, ‘Operation Cyber Kavach’, aimed at curbing cybercrime and strengthening digital transaction security.
Launched under the direction of Director General of Police Yogesh Bahadur Khurania, the operation is being carried out under the direct supervision of district SPs and DCPs, with district Cyber Crime Units leading investigations on the ground. The campaign focuses on identifying mule bank accounts used in cyber frauds and tracking down facilitators who enable such financial transactions.
Police sources said that during the drive, 400 cases relating to mule bank accounts involved in cyber offences have been registered across the state. In addition, eight cases related to ATM withdrawals, 13 cases linked to cheque withdrawals and nine cases involving fake SIM cards and PoS have been instituted. Alongside the 216 arrests made so far, legal notices have been issued to 2,758 suspected account holders and facilitators connected to 118 new and old FIRs.
District-level enforcement has yielded significant results. Bargarh district reported the verification of 1,146 benami accounts and the issuance of 1,024 legal notices, along with the arrest of three accused linked to an old FIR. Balasore police verified 398 accounts and arrested five persons, while Bhadrak police verified 305 accounts, registered 14 cases and arrested 12 accused. In Khordha district, 121 accounts were verified, eight cases were registered including one related to ATM withdrawal, six persons were arrested and notices were issued to 21 individuals. Ganjam district police verified 109 accounts, registered 11 cases and arrested 11 accused.
Similarly, Cuttack district police verified 353 accounts and registered two cases, while Cuttack (UPD) verified five accounts and issued notices in each case. Rourkela registered 14 cases after verifying 182 accounts, and Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Boudh, Deogarh, Nuapada, Nayagarh, Mayurbhanj, Kandhamal, Angul, Dhenkanal, Kalahandi, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur also undertook verification drives, registered cases, made arrests and issued notices as part of the coordinated crackdown.
Reiterating the force’s commitment to safeguarding citizens against cyber fraud, DGP Khurania said the campaign would be made even more stringent in the coming days to move towards a cybercrime-free Odisha. The large-scale verification of mule accounts and the coordinated legal action reflect one of the most extensive anti-cybercrime exercises undertaken in the state in recent years.
