Bhasma (Odisha): Police have arrested five men for allegedly opening multiple bank accounts and handing over the corresponding ATM cards to cyber fraudsters in exchange for Rs10,000 per account.
The arrested accused have been identified as Nibas Naik (26), Hare Ram Deo (50), Bharat Mahanand (31), Bimal Gardia (39), and Kalakar Tandia (40). Officers seized six mobile phones and 23 bank passbooks from them during the operation on Thursday evening.
Investigators revealed that cybercriminals used these bank accounts — known as mule accounts — to divert fraudulent funds worth several lakhs over the past few months. These transactions are now under detailed scrutiny by the police cyber cell.
During interrogation, the accused disclosed that they were en route to Kolkata to deliver the ATM and SIM cards to an unidentified handler linked to the cyber gang.
“We have started verifying the passbooks and call records from the seized mobiles to trace the cyber fraudsters operating behind these mule accounts,” said S. Parida, Inspector-in-Charge of Town Police Station.
Police suspect that the group was part of a larger interstate cybercrime network targeting bank customers through fraudulent transactions and digital scams.
