15 Held in Jharsuguda Under ‘Cyber Kavach’; Fraud Trail of ₹5.27 Crore Unearthed
Jharsuguda: In a major crackdown under ‘Cyber Kavach’, Odisha Police’s special drive against cyber fraud networks, Jharsuguda police have arrested 15 accused persons for their alleged involvement in organised online financial fraud. Police have detected transactions exceeding Rs.5.27 crore during the multi-police-station operation within district including Jharsuguda , Jharsuguda Sadar, Airport , Badmal, Belpahar and Lakhanpur Police Station.
Police said a dedicated cyber team analysed data on mule bank accounts, cheque withdrawals and ATM transactions sourced from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). Technical surveillance, digital tracking and field verification led to coordinated arrests across different police station jurisdictions in the district.
Jharsuguda SP G.R. Raghavendra said the accused were part of an organised syndicate that lured individuals with monetary incentives to open bank accounts in their names. “After opening the accounts, the fraudsters took custody of passbooks, ATM cards and SIM cards. These were used as ‘mule accounts’ to receive and withdraw money siphoned from cyber fraud victims across India, thereby concealing the identity of the masterminds,” he said.
The SP urged citizens to stay alert against such cyber fraud rackets. He advised people not to “rent” their bank accounts, ATM cards or UPI IDs for money, as this can make them part of a crime. He also asked people to be careful while sharing Aadhaar or PAN details and to report any unknown or suspicious money credited to their accounts immediately to the bank and police. Victims of cyber fraud should call the national helpline 1930 or lodge a complaint at www.cybercrime.gov.in without delay to help authorities freeze the stolen funds quickly.
