Odisha Police has reported significant achievements in its month-long special drive “Operation Cyber Kavach” against cybercrime and financial fraud.
Conducted between February 13 and March 12, 2026, the operation focused on dismantling mule bank accounts and fake SIM networks that form the backbone of online scams.
Director General of Police Yogesh Bahadur Khurania announced at a press briefing that police verified 39,714 mule bank accounts across the state. Investigations led to the arrest of 379 accused, including individuals linked to mule accounts, fake SIM cards, ATM withdrawals, and cheque fraud. Notices were issued to 7,549 suspected account holders and associates.
The crackdown spanned districts such as Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Ganjam, Nuapada, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Balasore, Bhadrak, Puri, Jajpur, and Dhenkanal. Police busted interstate gangs, seized SIM cards, ATM cards, digital devices, and uncovered hawala transactions and crypto-related fraud.
Key successes included the arrest of a gang in Jharsuguda involved in Rs 5.25 crore fraud, Sambalpur police busting a Rs 1.3 crore mule account racket, and Cuttack police exposing a Rs 29.33 crore network. Bhubaneswar police dismantled a national syndicate using fake KYC and pre-activated SIMs, seizing luxury cars and dozens of debit cards.
Khurania credited coordination between the CID Crime Branch, banking nodal teams, telecom providers, and data-driven intelligence from the Ministry of Home Affairs’ I4C unit. He praised district SPs, range IGs, and officers for their dedication, and acknowledged the role of media in spreading cyber awareness.
