Bhubaneswar, February 27: The Central Range Police has escalated its efforts under the ongoing "Cyber Kavach" special drive, focusing on tackling mule bank accounts and cyber-enabled financial fraud across seven districts.

Led by Dr. Satyajit Naik, the Inspector General of Police(IGP), Central Range, Cuttack, the operation has made significant strides in cracking down on bank fraud and cybercrime across seven districts: Cuttack (Rural), Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Khordha, and Nayagarh.

This initiative involves a thorough verification process, legal actions, and preventive measures. Below is the district-wise progress of the operation:

District-wise Actions Taken:

• Cuttack (Rural):
  • 403 bank accounts verified
  • 14 new cases registered
  • 4 previous FIRs linked
  • 48 legal notices served
  • No arrests made
• Jagatsinghpur:
  • 198 bank accounts verified
  • 9 new cases registered
  • 15 legal notices served
  • No arrests reported
• Jajpur:
  • 580 bank accounts verified
  • 15 new cases registered
  • 169 legal notices served
  • Investigation ongoing, no arrests
• Kendrapara:
  • 468 bank accounts verified
  • 29 new cases registered
  • 238 legal notices served
  • Investigation in progress
• Khordha:
  • 333 bank accounts verified
  • 21 new cases registered
  • 6 arrests made
  • 60 legal notices served
• Nayagarh:
  • 59 bank accounts verified
  • 2 new cases registered
  • 1 old FIR linked
  • 62 legal notices served
• Puri:
  • 238 bank accounts verified
  • 41 new cases registered
  • 1 old FIR linked
  • 10 arrests made
  • 3 legal notices served

Central Range – Summary Overview:

• Total bank accounts verified: 2,279
• New cases registered: 131
• Old FIRs linked: 6
• Total arrests made: 16
• Legal notices served: 595

Key Focus Areas of "Cyber Kavach":

• Identifying and verifying mule bank accounts
• Linking suspicious accounts to existing FIRs
• Issuing legal notices under applicable laws
• Arresting key facilitators and account operators
• Strengthening financial intelligence and cross-district coordination

The Central Range Police maintains a firm stance against cyber fraud networks and urges citizens to remain vigilant:

• Avoid sharing OTPs or banking details
• Never lend or rent out your bank account
• Report cyber fraud immediately at 1930

The "Cyber Kavach" operation will continue with relentless effort to protect citizens and dismantle organized cybercrime operations.