KARIMNAGAR: What began as routine financial probes led Karimnagar police to uncover a network of illegal ‘mule bank accounts’ used to route cyberfraud money, with transactions estimated at around Rs 138 crore.
As the investigation unfolded under Operation Crackdown 1.0, police identified 24 accused persons and arrested 13 of them, including bank officials, on Friday. Commissioner of Police Gaush Alam, addressing a press conference, said the network facilitated large-scale fraudulent transactions through bank-linked and virtual accounts.
Preliminary findings showed that about Rs 12.25 crore was routed through virtual accounts, while Rs 125.80 crore moved through mule accounts in Ratnakar Bank (RBL), taking the total to nearly Rs 138 crore. The transactions were linked to RBL and virtual account platforms, including those associated with cooperative societies.
Police said the operation followed a layered structure, with the main accused, Bandari Sairam, facilitating the opening of mule accounts in the names of unsuspecting individuals to route transactions for cybercriminals operating from China. Coordinators oversaw the creation and handling of these accounts, while middlemen lured people with commissions to open them. The account holders then handed over ATM cards and banking credentials, which were used to channel cyberfraud money, often routed abroad.
Cases have been registered under Sections 112 and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66-D of the IT Act.
Among those arrested are Bandari Sairam (30), Velgatoor, Jagtial; Anumandla Ranjith (36), Gopulapur, Buggaram, Jagtial; Aligeti Mallesham (37), Dharmaram, Peddapalli; Boga Rakesh (35), Jagtial; and Bandi Pranay (25), Vedire, Ramadugu, Karimnagar. Bank officials arrested include Bhuvanagiri Kalyan (52), Hanamkonda, an RBL Bank manager, while Ayesha Begum (30) from Karimnagar has not been arrested due to pregnancy.
Account holders arrested include Vibhudi Ramkumar (37), Dharmaram, Peddapalli; Natarla Srinivas (39), Lakshmipur, Jagtial; Karre Raju (35), Warangal; Kalleda Mahender (36), Jagtial; Kondra Narahari (37), Jagtial; and Kalleda Rajesh (27), Jagtial.
The commissioner advised citizens to report cyber fraud immediately by calling 1930 or visiting the official website. He added that further investigation is underway.
Retired NIT professor loses Rs 1.1 crore in stock scam
HANAMKONDA: A retired assistant professor of the National Institute of Technology Warangal was allegedly cheated of 1.1 crore by online fraudsters posing as stock market advisers via a WhatsApp group promising high returns. Prabhakar Shyamala (86) from Waddepally came across a website, shared his number, and was contacted by a man posing as an accounts manager. He was guided through fake investments and deposited Rs 1.1 crore. The fraudsters later demanded Rs 50 lakh more. His family approached the cybercrime police who registered a case