Bengaluru: A day after the Criminal Investigation Department’s cybercrime command cell cracked down on over 40,000 mule accounts in various parts of Karnataka, investigators have found that the accused facilitated transactions worth at least Rs 100 crore over the past two years. Thirteen mule account “herders” from different parts of the state, including Bengaluru, have been arrested and are being questioned.DGP (CID-cyber command) Pronab Mohanty said two key accused — one from Shivamogga and the other from Bengaluru — were jointly involved in transactions totalling Rs 55 crore through 19 mule accounts during the period. “Prima facie, these two accused are linked to 96 cybercrime cases reported across the country. The kingpins operating the racket are based in Delhi and Dubai,” he said.Police investigation revealed that most mule account holders belonged to working-class backgrounds and were often unaware their bank accounts were being misused for cyberfraud. “Many were paid a monthly commission of Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 and did not realise the scale or nature of the crimes committed using their accounts,” an investigating officer said.According to the CID, the racket was operated by a network of mule herders who procured bank documents, ATM cards, and cheque books from individuals in exchange for money. These accounts were then used by cybercriminals to route funds linked to illegal betting, digital arrest fraud, and other online scams.The arrests followed coordinated raids conducted over two days starting Feb 5 at more than 100 locations across 29 districts in Karnataka. So far, nearly 20 FIRs have been registered.
