Berhampur: The Berhampur Cyber and Economic Offences Police Station has arrested a 36-year-old man from Chhattisgarh for allegedly opening and operating multiple mule accounts linked to cyber-enabled money laundering.
The accused, Ravi Prakash Samant of Durg district, was nabbed after investigators traced suspicious financial transactions funneled through several bank accounts. Police have seized bank passbooks, cheque books, ATM cards, mobile phones, and other documents believed to have been used in the illegal operation.
According to police, the bank accounts managed by Samant were repeatedly used in cybercrime cases registered in Rohtak and Gurugram in Haryana, Kotwali Police Station in Uttar Pradesh, and Hanumangarh Police Station in Rajasthan.
Investigations revealed that Samant had visited Berhampur nearly two years ago and, posing as a recruiter offering jobs in a finance company, persuaded three local residents to open five bank accounts in their names. The accounts—opened in IndusInd Bank, ICICI Bank, and Federal Bank—were later misused after he gained access to their passbooks and ATM cards.
The five mule accounts, opened in April 2023, saw transactions amounting to around ₹10 lakh, allegedly linked to cybercriminals, police said.
Berhampur SP Dr. Saravana Vivek M. cautioned the public against opening bank accounts for others or sharing critical banking information such as ATM cards, PINs, or OTPs, especially when approached with offers of easy earnings.