Hyderabad police have arrested three people accused of procuring and supplying 83 mule bank accounts to cyber fraudsters, with investigators finding that the accounts received about ₹10.05 crore through cybercrime-related transactions across multiple States.
The arrested persons were identified as 24-year-old Syed Abbas Ullah Hussaini, a waiter, 23-year-old Mohammed Talha Khan and 20-year-old Nawab Mohammed Rahemuddin Khan. All three are residents of Shahgunj in Hussaini Alam, according to the report by The Hindu.
Police said the accused procured bank accounts with the help of local residents and sold the account kits for between ₹20,000 and ₹25,000 each. The kits reportedly included account numbers, passbooks, ATM cards, ATM PINs, linked SIM cards and customer IDs. The material was then handed over through courier to two alleged associates, Vijay and Babu Lal, who are from Jaipur and remain absconding.
The investigation identified 83 mule accounts opened across 22 branches of different banks in Hyderabad. These included 10 accounts each at the Telangana State Co-operative Apex Bank’s Charminar branch and Darussalam Co-operative Urban Bank’s Hussaini Alam branch, 13 accounts at Agrasen Co-operative Urban Bank’s Begum Bazar branch and nine accounts at the Telangana State Co-operative Apex Bank’s Attapur branch.
After checking the account details against the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, investigators found that 11 of the 83 accounts had been used in 14 cyber-fraud transactions reported from Hyderabad, Telangana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh and Delhi. Four accounts at Agrasen Co-operative Urban Bank, six at Telangana State Co-operative Apex Bank and one at SVC Co-operative Bank were linked to the identified fraud cases.
According to police, around ₹10.05 crore was received through cybercrime-related transactions in the 83 accounts. The money was withdrawn on the same day, indicating how the accounts were allegedly used as rapid channels for moving and extracting funds. The Telangana police Task Force seized eight Telangana State Co-operative Apex Bank passbooks and three mobile phones from the arrested persons.
The accused and the seized material were handed over to Attapur Police for further action. Police also named Salman of Hussaini Alam and Anna of Mallepally in connection with the case. The investigation into the wider network and the remaining alleged associates is continuing, according to the report.
Authorities cautioned residents against renting, selling, lending or sharing bank accounts, ATM cards, cheque books, SIM cards, UPI IDs or internet-banking credentials in return for money. They warned that accounts used in illegal transactions could be frozen and may expose account holders to police investigation and criminal prosecution.
People who suspect that their bank accounts have been misused were advised to inform their bank immediately and report the matter through the cybercrime helpline 1930 or the official cybercrime portal.
