New Delhi, Dec 18: Delhi Police have dismantled two inter-state cybercrime networks that supplied mule bank accounts used in online frauds such as investment scams, fake part-time job offers, and “digital arrest” extortion cases, officials said on Thursday.
As part of Operation Cyhawk, police teams carried out coordinated raids across Delhi, Gurugram, Jaipur, and Ghaziabad, arresting nine people. Eight mobile phones, eight SIM cards, and several digital devices were seized during the crackdown, said DCP (North) Raja Banthia.
According to police, the two rackets operated in a highly organized manner, using layered banking channels, social media, and encrypted messaging apps to launder money siphoned from victims nationwide.
In one case, a 21-year-old Delhi University student fell prey to a fake part-time job offer and lost ₹93,000. The fraudsters initially transferred small sums to gain his trust before convincing him to make larger payments into multiple accounts. Investigators tracked money trails, call detail records, and device identifiers, leading to the arrest of three suspects in Rajasthan. The accused allegedly opened bank accounts, provided internet banking credentials and SIM cards, and shared corporate IDs with other fraudsters for commission.
In the second case, analysis of bank transactions and digital evidence revealed that funds from several cyberfraud complaints registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) were being funneled through a common network of mule accounts, including one held at a public sector bank in North Delhi. Police said this led to the registration of a new FIR and the arrest of six more suspects.
The accused allegedly acted as handlers and coordinators, procuring and managing mule accounts, withdrawing funds, layering transactions, and converting proceeds into cryptocurrency—mainly USDT—through deals arranged on social media.
Those arrested have been identified as Himanshu Sharma (24), Chatra Abhijeet Lamba (22), and Sahil Joshi (23) from Rajasthan; Mannu (23), Ajay (25), Parveen, and Piyush from Delhi; and Aniket (22) and Ganesh Rathi (25) from Ghaziabad.
Police said the rackets heavily relied on social media networks to connect buyers, sellers, and account providers, frequently changing locations and platforms to obscure their tracks and evade arrest.
