Delhi Police have uncovered a cyber fraud network involving 37 suspected mule bank accounts that received Rs 7.36 crore linked to 99 complaints across India, news agency Press Trust of India reported. Six people, including a private bank branch manager, have been arrested.The accused allegedly opened accounts using forged signatures and identity verification documents obtained from unsuspecting daily-wage labourers.
Police said part of the proceeds was converted into cryptocurrency.The investigation identified 17 suspected mule accounts at the bank's Saraswati Vihar branch and 20 at its Tri Nagar branch. A senior police officer told PTI that the accounts were linked to 99 cyber fraud complaints registered across the country and had received about Rs 7.36 crore.The case emerged during an examination of mule account data, when the Tri Nagar branch was identified as a suspected centre for opening such accounts.
A preliminary inquiry into one account found that the account holder, identified as Rahul, had neither visited the branch nor applied to open the account. The addresses linked to two other suspected accounts at the branch could not be verified.Following the enquiry, an FIR was registered on June 17 and an investigation was launched.
Seventeen more accounts at the Tri Nagar branch were examined. Police found that the account holders' addresses did not exist and that their photographs and identity verification documents had not been collected in person.
This raised suspicion about the involvement of a larger group, including bank employees. The officer said an analysis of registered mobile numbers, email addresses, devices linked to those accounts and their connections led investigators to Mayank Kapoor, alias Rinku, 35, an alleged operator of the mule accounts.
He was arrested from Delhi's Baba Haridas Nagar.During questioning, Kapoor allegedly said he arranged SIM cards in the names of daily-wage labourers and obtained their identity verification documents and photographs by contacting them on the pretext of approving loans. The material was then collected through social media and allegedly used to open bank accounts.Police said Kapoor came into contact with Shobhit Aggarwal, 38, manager of the private bank's Saraswati Vihar branch.
Aggarwal allegedly helped open accounts without the account holders being physically present, while signatures were forged in their names.Aggarwal later introduced Kapoor to Sushant Kumar, manager of the Tri Nagar branch. With the alleged help of bank employees, the accused arranged for about 17 mule accounts to be opened at Saraswati Vihar and 20 at Tri Nagar.Police also found that sales team members Manoj, Ankur, Fatma and Pankaj allegedly processed the accounts, which were later approved by the two branch managers.
Proceeds from cybercrime were allegedly routed through these accounts. A portion was allegedly paid to Aggarwal, while the remaining amount was converted into cryptocurrency, including USDT, or Tether.After collecting evidence, police arrested Aggarwal and the four sales staff members on October 18, the officer told PTI.
During searches, police recovered a laptop, seven mobile phones, 11 SIM cards, seven cheque books, seven debit cards, Rs 60,000 in cash and about 150 grams of gold jewellery.Police also seized 63 Aadhaar cards, 60 PAN cards and 55 passport-size photographs belonging to different people. The documents and photographs were allegedly meant to be used for opening more bank accounts.In all, the investigation uncovered 37 suspected mule accounts linked to 99 cyber fraud complaints and transactions worth Rs 7.36 crore, leading to the arrest of six people and the seizure of documents, electronic devices, cash and jewellery.- Ends