AHMEDABAD: In one of Gujarat Police’s biggest cybercrime crackdowns, investigators have uncovered a staggering Rs 2,289 crore cyber fraud network by targeting mule accounts, the financial lifeline of online scammers.
The statewide operation led to 565 FIRs, 638 arrests, action against 913 mule accounts, and the exposure of more than 4,000 cybercrime cases, dealing a major blow to organised cyber fraud syndicates.
In a massive strike against cybercrime, the Gujarat Police has dismantled a sprawling network of mule accounts that served as the financial backbone of online fraudsters, exposing cyber scams worth an astonishing Rs 2,289 crore.
The operation, aptly named "Operation Mule Hunt 1.0," targeted the hidden channels through which cyber criminals moved and laundered stolen money, delivering one of the state's biggest-ever blows to digital fraud syndicates.
The crackdown was launched with a clear objective: to protect the hard-earned savings of Gujarat's citizens from falling into the hands of cyber criminals and ensure that those behind such crimes face strict legal action.
What followed was a meticulously planned statewide operation led by the Cyber Centre of Excellence (CCOE) of Gujarat Police, involving every Police Commissionerate, Range Headquarters, Local Crime Branch, and Cyber Police Station across the state.
At the heart of the operation were mule accounts, bank accounts used by cyber criminals to receive, transfer, and disguise money obtained through fraud.
The account holders, often referred to as "money mules," knowingly or unknowingly become critical links in the cybercrime chain. These accounts allow fraudsters to quickly move stolen funds through multiple layers, leading the money trail difficult to trace.
Recognising that mule accounts are the lifeline of cyber fraud, Gujarat Police decided to attack the problem at its source. Investigators gathered intelligence from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), the Coordination Portal, and the national cyber fraud helpline 1930.
This massive pool of data was analysed to identify suspicious financial activity and trace the networks facilitating cyber fraud.
To strengthen the operation on the ground, nodal officers were appointed in every district, while dedicated support teams were deployed to investigate complaints.
Simultaneously, banks were directed to share data in real time, enabling investigators to track suspicious transactions quickly and accurately.
This seamless coordination between law enforcement agencies, cyber experts, and financial institutions became the cornerstone of the operation's success.
Beyond arrests and seizures, the operation also triggered visible changes in financial transaction patterns commonly exploited by fraud networks.
Cheque-based withdrawals, a preferred method used by fraudsters to move illicit funds, witnessed a dramatic decline. Monthly cheque withdrawals dropped from Rs 126 crore to just Rs 25 crore, representing nearly an 80 per cent reduction.
Overall, cheque withdrawals fell by approximately 75 per cent following the crackdown. Investigators also reported a 30 per cent decline in first-layer mule accounts, the accounts where stolen money is initially deposited between August and December 2025.
ATM withdrawals linked to suspicious activities saw an even sharper fall, decreasing by 66 per cent between September and December 2025, indicating that cybercriminal networks were struggling to access and move fraudulent funds.
Officials described these figures as evidence that targeting mule accounts can significantly disrupt the operational capacity of cyber fraud syndicates.
Building on the success of 'Operation Mule Hunt', authorities are now preparing for a more advanced and proactive phase of cybercrime prevention.
Under guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India, the Indian Digital Payment Intelligence Platform Corporation (IDPIC) is implementing an Artificial Intelligence-based risk scoring system designed to identify suspicious financial transactions before large-scale fraud occurs.
Under the proposed system, every transaction will be categorised as low-risk, medium-risk, or high-risk, allowing banks to detect potentially fraudulent activity in real time and take immediate preventive action.
To further strengthen coordination among financial institutions, a dedicated information-sharing registry named "mulehunter.ai" has also been established, enabling banks to exchange intelligence on suspicious accounts and emerging fraud patterns.
With 'Operation Mule Hunt 1.0', the Gujarat Police has not only exposed thousands of cybercrime cases but has also demonstrated a new model of data-driven policing, one that targets the financial arteries of cybercrime rather than merely chasing individual fraudsters.
Officials believe the operation marks a significant shift in India's fight against digital fraud and sends a clear message that the networks enabling cyber criminals are now firmly under the scanner.
