Hyderabad: Cybercrime investigations widened after Khammam police arrested 18 mule account holders who helped divert ₹547 crore abroad through an international fraud racket.
Police said the arrested accused worked with four prime suspects who remain absconding. Investigators identified them as P Manoj Kalyan, U Vikas Chowdary, Bhanu Priya, and M Satish.
According to investigators, the accused lured unemployed youth by offering jobs. They convinced them to open bank accounts and share credentials. The gang then routed cybercrime proceeds through these mule accounts.
Khammam police commissioner Sunil Dutt said the gang laundered money and cheated cybercrime victims. He added that the accused paid commissions to mule account holders.
Cybercrime racket linked to overseas fraud networks
Police said the four prime accused supplied mule accounts to cybercrime operators based in Cambodia and other countries. They transferred money from several mule accounts into their personal bank accounts.
Later, the accused converted the funds into cryptocurrency. They then diverted the money to handlers abroad to avoid detection.
Investigators said that since 2022, ₹114 crore has been deposited into Manoj Kalyan’s personal current account. Similarly, ₹45 crore went into Bhanu Priya’s accounts, ₹135 crore into Satish’s account, and ₹81 crore into another associate, Nagalakshmi’s account, before diversion.
Police also said Manoj Kalyan earlier figured in a job fraud case probed by Cyberabad cybercrime police. However, officers did not arrest him at that time.
Police froze all bank accounts linked to the accused. They said they would write to the Income Tax department to examine unusual transactions. Officials added that the cybercrime racket had operated since 2022 and that the investigation was continuing.