Bhubaneswar, Nov 30 (LatestNewsX) – On Sunday, the Rourkela Police in Odisha thwarted a well‑organized cybercrime ring that had been setting up mule bank accounts. The gang used the banking details of local residents to open these accounts, then handed them over to criminals from outside the state to clean money earned from fraudulent schemes.
Police arrested four individuals – Ajay Kumar Sah, Sitanshu Kumar Swain, Siba Sankar Pattanayak and Prabhanjan Nayak – all linked to the Rourkela area of Sundargarh district. Three of them were employees of private banks—Kotak Mahindra and IndusInd—who helped establish the mule accounts.
The group primarily operates from Rourkela and focuses on creating and managing these mule accounts in the names of ordinary citizens. These accounts serve as “pass‑through” channels for large‑scale cybercrime and money laundering operations that span India and overseas.
According to a press release from the Rourkela Police, the gang recruits unemployed youth and even other petty offenders from jail. They then help set up bank accounts, activate SIM and identity cards for unsuspecting people, often using forged documents and impersonation. Many of the accounts were opened with the tacit approval of bank staff, sidestepping normal Know‑Your‑Customer procedures.
After activation, the accounts were sold or rented to cybercriminals across the country—including Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Kolkata—for as little as Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 each. These accounts act as intermediate hubs where ill‑gotten funds from cyber victims are received, before being funneled elsewhere.
In a surprising development, the police revealed that the ring appears to have international connections that are currently under investigation. The sheer number of accounts opened with forged documents suggests that more bank insiders might be involved.
This case marks the third mule‑bank‑account offense reported in Rourkela this year. In 2025 alone, the Rourkela Police have detained more than 60 cybercriminals.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
