In a significant crackdown on digital financial crime, the A Division police in Junagadh have dismantled a sophisticated mule account operation linked to cyberfraud transactions exceeding Rs 9.43 crore. The illicit funds were allegedly converted into cryptocurrency and sent to Dubai after passing through multiple hands.
International Network Unraveled
Authorities have registered a case against 20 individuals and initiated a statewide probe. So far, nine persons have been arrested. Police Sub-Inspector Y N Solanki filed the formal complaint under Sections 317(2) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with pertinent sections of the Information Technology Act.
The accused named in the complaint include Ali Mohammad alias Asif Theba, Imtiaz alias Bakro Hingorja, Kazim Rajsumra, and Irfan Jadugar, among others. Several accomplices remain unidentified as the investigation continues.
How the Mule Account Racket Operated
The breakthrough came after three separate complaints were filed on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal concerning suspicious transactions in the current account of a firm named Prime Trading Group. Upon visiting the company's registered address, police encountered Ali Mohammad alias Asif Theba.
During questioning, Theba confessed to renting out eight bank accounts associated with his name and his firm to Imtiaz Hingorja in exchange for a commission. Investigators revealed that Theba, with the help of associates like Ajay Sonagra and Arbaz Qureshi, secured control of several more bank accounts and handed them over to Imtiaz.
These mule accounts were specifically used to receive and withdraw money obtained through various cyberfraud schemes. After deducting layered commissions for the account holders and intermediaries, the remaining cash was directed to a key player identified as Raju alias Ram Bhavnagar.
The Dubai Connection and Crypto Trail
Interrogation of Imtiaz Hingorja exposed the international dimension of the scam. He stated that he and his associate Kazim Rajsumra sourced bank accounts from Theba and another individual named Aslam Qureshi. These account details were then forwarded to Irfan alias Jadugar, who is based in Dubai.
The network operated on a 6% commission for deposits routed into these accounts. Irfan Jadugar would alert the local agents about incoming deposits, prompting them to withdraw the cash physically. This money was then transported to Raju alias Ram in Bhavnagar or Surat using traditional angadia (courier) channels.
Raju alias Ram Bhavnagar played the crucial role of converting the massive cash piles into cryptocurrency, which was then transferred digitally to Irfan Jadugar in Dubai, effectively laundering the proceeds of the cyberfraud.
Wide-Ranging Impact and Ongoing Probe
Junagadh Superintendent of Police Subodh Odedra confirmed that the investigation has so far uncovered the misuse of 52 mule bank accounts, with fraudulent transactions totalling Rs 9.43 crore.
SP Odedra emphasized that the probe has exposed an international racket orchestrated from Dubai, which relied on a web of local agents and account holders in India to siphon off money stolen through online fraud. The police continue their efforts to identify and apprehend all individuals involved in this elaborate financial crime network.
