In a statewide drive to dismantle cyber fraud networks, Odisha Police have inspected 11,155 mule (benami) bank accounts and arrested 238 persons under the special campaign ‘Operation Cyber Kavach’.
The operation, launched on the directions of Director General of Police Yogesh Bahadur Khurania, is being directly supervised by district Superintendents of Police and Deputy Commissioners of Police through their respective Cyber Crime Units. The focus is on identifying and acting against benami bank accounts used to siphon off money in cyber fraud cases and the people operating them.
Till date, the police have registered 518 fresh cases linked to these accounts — 480 involving mule bank accounts in cyber frauds, 11 related to ATM cash withdrawals, 18 concerning cheque encashment, and 9 involving fake SIM cards or PoS devices. In addition, 121 new and old FIRs have led to legal notices being issued to 3,059 suspected account holders and their accomplices.
A total of 238 accused have been arrested so far.
District-wise action has been intense. Notable figures include:
- Balasore: 310 accounts checked
- Jharsuguda: 188 accounts
- Kendrapara: 175 accounts
- Rourkela: 130 accounts
- Khordha: 118 accounts
- Jagatsinghpur: 107 accounts (1 arrested, 10 notices)
- Deogarh: 105 accounts
- Ganjam: 85 accounts
- Cuttack (rural): 51 accounts (2 cases, 10 notices)
Several other districts — including Jajpur, Keonjhar, Puri, Balangir, Sundargarh, Nuapada and Rayagada — have also carried out checks and initiated legal proceedings. Districts such as Nayagarh, Sambalpur, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj, Berhampur, Boudh, Dhenkanal, Kalahandi, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur are scrutinising accounts linked to older FIRs and taking necessary action.
DGP Khurania said the campaign will be intensified further in the coming days. “Odisha Police is fully committed to securing the digital transactions of the people. We will continue to make Operation Cyber Kavach even stricter to create a cyber-crime-free Odisha,” he stated.
The operation is expected to expand in the weeks ahead as police continue to trace and freeze suspicious accounts and arrest more members of organised cyber fraud gangs.
