Odisha STF Cracks Huge Inter-state Mule Bank Accounts Scam, 3 Arrested

Bhubaneswar: The Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Police cracked a huge inter-state mule bank accounts scam running in the tri-junction area of Odisha-West Bengal and Jharkhand.

Three accused including the head of the gang were arrested in this connection, the STF said.

The accused persons have been identified as Sk Hapizul, Sk Jahangir, and Sk Jamiruddin.

Based on the intelligence input about running of a huge racket of mule bank accounts, the STF conducted raids and seized various incriminating materials such as mobile phones, pre-activated SIM Cards, bank Pass Books, Aadhar Cards etc. from their possession.

The STF registered a case under 419/420/465/467/468/471/120(B)/34 sections of the IPC r/w. 66 C & 66 D of IT Act, 2000 in this connection. The accused persons will be forwarded to the court of SDJM,Bhubaneswar.

The 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 Rs 15,000 per month to open bank accounts. These members visit various interior areas of these districts targeting mainly poor villagers/tribals and persuade/lure them for opening the bank accounts.

Villagers are generally offered Rs 2,000 per account for giving their documents and opening the bank accounts.
However the mobile numbers linked with bank accounts are provided by gang members. The rate of Rs 2000 per account differs depending on the bargaining/awareness level of the villager. In turn, the gang than sell these bank accounts along with the connected mobile numbers to various cyber, cyber-financial, sextortion scammers and other criminals based at Kolkata and other parts of India.

They also use social media platform like secret WhatsApp group, Facebook pages, Telegram channel to sell the mule bank accounts. They sell mule bank accounts at the rate of Rs 15-20,000 per account.

It has also come to the notice that the scammers frequently change the 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 on the request of police/ Law enforcement agencies.