In a significant breakthrough against cyber financial crime, the Ernakulam Rural police have exposed a vast network of fraudsters, uncovering financial scams amounting to an astounding ₹22 crore. This achievement comes as part of ‘Operation Cy-Hunt,’ a dedicated statewide initiative targeting online financial criminals.
During an extensive crackdown, rural police successfully apprehended 43 individuals – the highest number of arrests in this operation – across 103 different locations. A key method for identifying suspects involved meticulously tracing unusual and suspicious cheque transactions.
The majority of those arrested were found to be ‘mule account’ holders, individuals who had leased their bank accounts to fraudsters for the purpose of moving illicit funds generated from crimes nationwide. Authorities have so far identified more than 200 such mule accounts operating within the rural jurisdiction.
Within the rural areas, Kothamangalam and Muvattupuzha recorded the highest number of arrests, with eight individuals apprehended in each region. Additionally, four arrests were made in Aluva, Edathala, and Perumbavoor.
Worryingly, many of the arrestees are young individuals, including students in their early twenties, highlighting a growing vulnerability among youth to cyber fraud schemes. For instance, out of the seven individuals detained by Kothamangalam police, six were under 25, with the seventh being 32.
Kothamangalam Inspector Bejoy P.T. explained, “While these arrests stemmed from separate incidents, the suspects largely employed similar tactics. They were identified by tracking suspicious deposits and withdrawals from their bank accounts. These individuals received substantial amounts from various sources, withdrew the money via cheques, and then passed it on to other members of the criminal network. Investigations are actively ongoing to locate those who ultimately received these funds.”
The Inspector further revealed that the accused earned commissions for facilitating these illicit transactions, with payments ranging from ₹1,000 per ₹1 lakh transferred, up to ₹20,000 for a single transaction. Police intelligence has uncovered mule accounts that processed between ₹60 lakh and ₹80 lakh through numerous transfers, with one particular rented account handling a staggering ₹30 lakh in just one instance.
Muvattupuzha Inspector Basil Thomas reported that individuals arrested in his jurisdiction were also involved in comparable crimes, albeit in unconnected cases. “The scammers lured the accused by falsely claiming they required extra bank accounts to transfer large sums and bypass tax obligations,” he stated.
In Perumbavoor, two young men, aged 25 and 24, were apprehended during the Cy-Hunt. One case involved an accused receiving ₹1,70,000 from a resident of Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, while in another, a defendant’s account was used to defraud a Kozhikode resident of ₹3,40,000.
Separately, Kalady police arrested a 40-year-old man whose bank account was linked to 24 transactions, totaling ₹76,38,601, received from various accounts. These funds were subsequently withdrawn using cheques and other methods.
These suspects were identified through a comprehensive, state-level list compiled by police following months of dedicated effort. Concurrently, the Kochi City police also made eight arrests across six different cases during this widespread operation.