Bhubaneswar, Mar 3: In a major drive against cybercrime, district police have launched ‘Operation Kavach’ to track down cyber offenders and dismantle financial fraud networks. During a preliminary probe by the police and crime branch, as many as 621 mule bank accounts were identified across the district, with illegal transactions worth lakhs of rupees suspected to have been routed through them.
Several cases have been registered at different police stations. Taking serious note of the developments, Superintendent of Police Rohit Verma has directed all station house officers to conduct a detailed and time-bound investigation.
As part of the ongoing crackdown, a data entry operator of a LAMPS in Kotpad block was arrested. The accused, identified as Sanjay Kumar Bisoyi of Bansuli village, was later produced in court.
Police said the accused had allegedly collected Aadhaar, PAN and other identity documents of more than 10 individuals illegally. He reportedly lured people into opening bank accounts, which were subsequently used by unidentified persons from outside the state to carry out online transactions. His mobile phone and bank-related documents have been seized and sent for examination by the cyber forensic team.
Investigations over the past few months had revealed suspicious transactions in multiple bank branches across the district. In many cases, individuals were unaware that accounts had been opened in their names. Authorities found that identity documents of poor and illiterate villagers had been misused.
Preliminary findings suggest links with fraudsters operating in Odisha as well as neighbouring states such as Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. Investigators suspect that proceeds from online fraud, lottery scams and digital loan frauds were routed through these mule accounts.
Police also suspect that some masterminds behind the racket may be hiding in Chhattisgarh. A special team has been formed to trace and apprehend them, said Cyber Police Station Inspector-in-Charge Janmejaya Mallick.
Meanwhile, all police stations have been instructed to compile and verify lists of suspicious bank accounts within their jurisdictions. In coordination with bank officials, authorities are examining account opening procedures, KYC details and transaction records. Accounts showing abnormal transaction patterns are being temporarily frozen as part of the investigation.
