Bhubaneswar: The Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Police on Thursday busted a huge racket of mule bank accounts and apprehended three scamsters including the mastermind.
On the basis of intelligence input about a huge racket of mule bank accounts, STF conducted raids and arrested three scammers identified as Sk Hapizul of Balasore at present Bhubaneswar, Sk Jahangir of Balasore and Sk Jamiruddin of West Medinapur in West Bengal.
During the raid, various incriminating materials such as mobile phones, pre-activated SIM Cards, Bank Passbooks, Aadhar Cards etc. were seized from their possession.
In this connection STF PS Case No. 24/2023, U/s 419/420/465/467/468/471/120(B)/34 IPC r/w. 66 C & 66 D IT Act, 2000 dated 18.10.2023 has been registered and the arrested persons will be forwarded to the court of SDJM, Bhubaneswar, the STF said.
According to the STF, this racket operates mainly in the tri-junction area of Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal, especially in the districts of Balasore, Mayurbhanj, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, East Sighbhoom, West Singhbhoom and Saraikela.
This racket is headed by Sk Jamiruddin of West Midnapore, West Bengal. He has employed around 10-15 people at the rate of 15000 per month to open bank accounts. These members visit various interior areas of these districts targeting mainly poor villagers/ tribal and persuading/luring them to open bank accounts. Villagers are generally offered Rs 2000 per account for giving their documents and opening bank accounts. However, the mobile numbers linked with bank accounts are provided by gang members. The rate of 2000 per account differs depending on the bargaining/ awareness level of the villager.
In turn, the gang then sell these bank accounts along with the connected mobile numbers to various Cyber, cyber-financial, sextortion scammers and other criminals based in Kolkata and other parts of India. They also use social media platforms like secret WhatsApp groups, Facebook pages, and Telegram channels to sell the mule bank accounts. They sell mule bank accounts at the rate of Rs 15-20,000 per account. So far they have sold around five thousand mule bank accounts at different platforms.
It has also come to the notice that the scammers frequently change bank accounts. Generally, they abandon the bank accounts once it reaches a transaction of Rs one Lakh. Sometimes the accounts get frozen even before that by concerned banks at the request of police/ Law enforcement agencies.
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