Cyber Police Smash Organized Crime Network in Rourkela
In a significant breakthrough against organized cybercrime, the Rourkela cyber police unit successfully dismantled a sophisticated criminal syndicate operating in the city and arrested four individuals, including two bank employees, on Sunday. The coordinated operation exposed a well-organized network specializing in creating and operating mule bank accounts to facilitate large-scale money laundering and cyber fraud operations across India and internationally.
Key Arrests and Their Roles in the Syndicate
The police have identified the arrested accused as Ajay Kumar Sah (37), Sitanshu Kumar Swain (35), Siba Sankar Pattanayak (32), and Prabhanjan Nayak (26). According to investigative findings, Sitanshu Kumar Swain worked as sales personnel in a private bank, while Siba Sankar Pattanayak served as a cashier in another private financial institution. Prabhanjan Nayak was employed with a private finance company, highlighting the concerning involvement of financial sector professionals in the criminal activities.
Rourkela Superintendent of Police Nitesh Wadhwani revealed that the gang's primary operation involved the systematic procurement and management of mule bank accounts specifically designed to support cybercrime and money laundering activities. The syndicate employed a calculated strategy of recruiting unemployed youth and petty criminals, directing them to arrange bank accounts using forged documents and identity cards obtained through impersonation of unsuspecting individuals.
Sophisticated Modus Operandi Uncovered
Police investigations uncovered that most accounts were opened with the direct complicity of bank staff who deliberately bypassed standard Know Your Customer (KYC) norms and verification protocols. These compromised accounts were then either sold for amounts ranging between Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 or rented out to cybercriminals operating throughout India. The primary purpose of these accounts was to receive fraudulent proceeds from victims while effectively obscuring the money trail and making financial tracking extremely difficult for authorities.
The criminal network systematically forwarded details of activated accounts to fraudsters operating in multiple states including Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal, creating a pan-India network of financial crime. The operation that led to the arrests was launched based on specific intelligence inputs and was conducted under the direct supervision of SP Nitesh Wadhwani, Rourkela DSP Serofina Xess, and inspector S K Mohanty along with dedicated cyber police station personnel.
During the raids and subsequent arrests, cyber police authorities seized substantial evidence including 2 ATM cards, a hard drive, 3 Aadhaar cards, 3 passbooks, 5 cheque books, a laptop, and four mobile phones from the accused individuals. SP Wadhwani confirmed that further investigation is actively underway, with police suspecting the involvement of additional bank staff members given the substantial volume of accounts opened using forged documentation.
