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Mangaluru duo arrested for routing global cyberfraud millions through 70 local mule accounts
The Cyber Command Unit said the accused lured locals into sharing bank details for "trading," only to use them as mule accounts for international fraudsters.
The police said 37 bank accounts linked to the accused have been flagged on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (Image generated using AI).
The Cyber Command Unit dismantled a “crypto-as-a-service” network operating out of Mangaluru, arresting two men for allegedly facilitating international cyberfraud, said the Karnataka Police Wednesday. The duo allegedly recruited local residents to provide mule accounts under the guise of a legitimate trading business.
The accused, identified as Mohammed Aneesh, 30, of Kasaba Bengre and Saleeth Ahmed M, 32, of Surathkal, were arrested following a complaint filed at the Mangaluru city cybercrime police station on March 10. The complainant, Mohammed Sinan, alleged that his acquaintances took control of his bank account for “trading” purposes, only to use it for cyberfraud transactions later.
The police filed a case under provisions of the Information Technology (IT) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Their investigation traced 37 bank accounts linked to the accused that have been flagged on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP). These accounts were connected to more than 88 cyberfraud complaints registered across the country, said the police. Banks have already frozen several of these accounts during the investigation.
The police seized four mobile phones, 18 debit cards, 17 bank passbooks, six cheque books, cryptocurrency worth 1,479.31 USDT, and a car from the accused.
‘An emerging trend’
“The case highlights an emerging trend that has not been widely reported: the use of cyber wallets for hire, or ‘crypto-as-a-service’, where cryptocurrencies are routed through networks to facilitate criminal activities,” a senior police officer said.
According to the Cyber Command Unit, the accused were involved in cryptocurrency-linked transactions connected to overseas cyberfraud networks. The accused allegedly gathered over 70 bank account details from people in Mangaluru and surrounding areas for use in cyberfraud operations.
“They purchased cryptocurrency from people in India at lower prices and sold it at higher rates to cyber fraudsters based in China by contacting them through platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram,” the unit said.
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The police said foreign fraudsters transferred money stolen from Indian citizens through cyberfraud into bank accounts set up by the accused. After complaints were filed and banks froze the accounts, the accused allegedly opened new bank accounts with members of the public and continued their transactions.
Further investigation is underway to trace financial transactions linked to the accounts and identify others involved in the network, the police said.
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