DEHRADUN: In a significant breakthrough against organised cybercrime, the Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) has dismantled a criminal network involved in facilitating financial fraud through “mule accounts”.
Three individuals were arrested, marking a pivotal moment in the state’s fight against digital fraud. This is also the first instance where charges under the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) have been applied to a cybercrime case in Uttarakhand.
Acting on confidential inputs and technical analysis, the STF’s cyber police team conducted a targeted operation in Haridwar. The raid led to the recovery of incriminating materials, including multiple bank passbooks, chequebooks, debit cards, PAN cards, Aadhaar cards, and various bank seals used to authenticate fake documentation.
According to police, the gang systematically targeted vulnerable individuals, luring them into opening bank accounts under false pretences. These accounts, commonly referred to as “mule accounts”, were then handed over to organised cybercrime syndicates.
These accounts acted as conduits for siphoning off lakhs of rupees from victims across various states.
“The gang would mislead and exploit innocent people to open bank accounts. These accounts were then shared with organised cyber criminals to facilitate large-scale fraud,” said Ajay Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, STF Uttarakhand.
“The operators generated substantial illicit profits through these transactions,” he added.
The suspects have been booked under Sections 111, 318(4), and 61(2) of the BNS, along with Section 66D of the IT Act, at the Cyber Police Station in Dehradun.
Highlighting the gravity of the charges, Assistant Superintendent of Police Kush Mishra told TNIE, “This is the first case in Uttarakhand to be registered under Section 111 of the new BNS law, which classifies such acts under organised crime. This provision carries a penalty of up to 10 years of imprisonment.”
“Under this new criminal framework, it will be extremely difficult for perpetrators to evade the law,” he added.
The STF is currently conducting an intensive investigation into the seized digital evidence and bank trails.
Authorities confirmed that the manhunt for other accomplices is ongoing as the probe continues.