Cyber-KAVACH Drive: 3,855 Mule Accounts Verified, 52 Arrested in Central Range

Cuttack: The Central Range Police, Cuttack, has successfully concluded a 13-day special operation titled “Cyber-KAVACH”, carried out from February 13 to February 25, 2026, to curb the growing menace of cyber financial fraud across seven districts of Odisha.

The intensive drive covered Cuttack, Puri, Khordha, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, and Nayagarh districts. It focused on dismantling mule bank account networks, curbing fraudulent SIM issuance, monitoring suspicious ATM withdrawals, and preventing illegal cheque-based transactions linked to cybercrime.

3,855 Mule Accounts Verified; 232 Cases Registered

During the operation, police verified over 3,855 mule bank accounts across the seven districts. As a result of intelligence-based raids and coordinated action with banks and telecom service providers, more than 232 cases were registered and over 52 persons arrested. Several accounts were frozen and crime proceeds seized.

Investigations revealed strong interstate linkages, with mule accounts being operated from states including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan, New Delhi, and Karnataka.

District-Wise Highlights

Jajpur recorded the highest number of verifications, with 959 mule accounts examined. Of these, 142 accounts were frozen, 25 cases registered, and 191 notices issued.

In Puri, 801 accounts were verified, including 219 accounts traced to operators outside Odisha. The district registered 46 cases and arrested seven persons.

Cuttack police verified 614 accounts, registered 65 cases, issued 34 notices, and arrested six individuals.

Kendrapara saw verification of 535 accounts, with 44 cases registered and 260 notices issued. A significant number of account-to-account transfer transactions were detected.

In Khordha, 461 accounts were verified, leading to 30 cases and issuance of 100 notices.

Jagatsinghpur verified 373 accounts, where cases of self-opened mule accounts and victimised innocent account holders were identified.

Nayagarh verified 112 accounts and detected 58 instances where facilitators were paid commissions to open mule accounts.

Action Against Fraudulent SIM Issuance

The drive also targeted fraudulent issuance of SIM cards by unscrupulous Point of Sale (PoS) agents.

In Khordha, two cases were registered, one person arrested, and seven PoS agents placed under verification. Jajpur reported one case and one arrest, with suspects detained for further inquiry. In Cuttack, a case was registered at Maniabandha police station (Case No. 23/2026).

ATM and Cheque Withdrawal Monitoring

Under ATM-related surveillance, Khordha police checked 221 ATMs, registered 10 cases, arrested six persons, and recovered or seized ₹7.29 lakh. In Nayagarh, eight ATMs were checked, resulting in six cases and four arrests.

Regarding cheque-related fraud, Puri verified 10 accounts, registered five cases, and arrested four persons while seizing ATM cards and cheque books. Khordha verified 13 accounts, registered two cases, and seized ₹13.94 lakh. Nayagarh registered four cases after verifying 20 accounts, while nine accounts in Kendrapara remain under active investigation.

Organized Interstate Networks Exposed

Police officials stated that the “Cyber-KAVACH” drive exposed well-organised interstate networks involved in recruiting mule account holders, facilitating fraudulent SIM issuance, and swiftly siphoning off defrauded money through coordinated ATM and cheque withdrawals.

Through timely freezing of accounts, digital trail tracking, and proactive arrests, Central Range Police said it has significantly disrupted these criminal ecosystems.

Authorities reaffirmed their commitment to using advanced technological tools, strengthening inter-agency coordination, and maintaining close collaboration with banks and telecom operators to make Odisha increasingly hostile to cyber fraud networks.

Advisory to Citizens

Police have urged citizens to remain vigilant and avoid sharing OTPs, debit or credit card details, or banking credentials with anyone. People have also been advised not to allow their bank accounts to be used by unknown individuals, even for small commissions.

In case of cyber fraud, citizens can immediately contact the National Cyber Crime Helpline at 1930 or report incidents through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in.

The Central Range Police reiterated its resolve to safeguard the financial security of the people of Odisha.