Chhattisgarh Man Arrested for Running Five ‘Mule’ Bank Accounts in Berhampur

Berhampur: A 36-year-old man from Chhattisgarh has been arrested for allegedly operating at least five ‘mule’ bank accounts using the identity documents of unsuspecting residents of Berhampur, police said on Saturday.

Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M. informed that the accused, a native of Bhilai in Durg district, had opened the accounts in three private banks in April 2023. These accounts were reportedly used to route illegal financial transactions worth nearly ₹10 lakh.

“Mule accounts” are bank accounts exploited by cybercriminals to transfer money earned through unlawful means, often without the knowledge of the actual account holders. During the raid, police recovered bank passbooks, cheque books, ATM cards, and mobile phones from the accused.

Investigators revealed that the man has a history of involvement in cybercrime networks in multiple states, including Haryana (Rohtak and Gurugram), Uttar Pradesh (Kotwali), and Rajasthan (Hanumanagar).

The arrest followed a detailed examination of 346 suspected mule accounts flagged on the Samanvaya portal of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Ministry of Home Affairs. While scrutinising these accounts, police traced the accused.

Further investigation showed that the man had visited Berhampur two years ago and convinced three local residents to open bank accounts by promising them jobs in a finance company. Believing him, they handed over their identity documents and account details, which were later misused for money laundering.

Police said verification of other suspected mule accounts is ongoing, and efforts are underway to identify additional links in the network.