Bengaluru, Feb 20 (NationPress) The Karnataka State Cyber Command has initiated a comprehensive statewide operation targeting mule bank accounts, resulting in the apprehension of 68 principal suspects between December 2025 and February 2026, as reported by Cyber Command Director General of Police Pronab Mohanty.

Mule accounts serve as banking tools exploited by cybercriminals to unlawfully transfer, receive, or hide crime proceeds, often involving intermediaries known as mule account holders or mule herders.

This Cyber Command operation has executed coordinated special actions against mule accounts and mule herders across Karnataka, intensifying its efforts to combat organized cyber fraud networks. This initiative commenced last week and represents a sustained enforcement strategy to dismantle cybercrime frameworks in the state.

Throughout the operations, law enforcement identified and dismantled mule herder networks—individuals who collect, control, and misuse multiple mule bank accounts—facilitating their use by cybercriminals for fraudulent transactions. These mule herders were found to be acquiring, aggregating, and selling mule bank accounts to cyber fraudsters involved in various online financial crimes, Mohanty noted.

In total, the crackdown led to the arrest of 68 key suspects during the timeframe from December 2025 to February 2026, as part of these concerted enforcement actions.

The police registered 60 cases related to the mule account network and identified about 869 mule bank accounts involved in cyber fraud.

There have been 8,788 complaints filed on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) against these identified mule accounts, with the total financial involvement estimated at Rs 85.05 crore. Of this, Rs 13.43 crore has been successfully frozen by authorities to prevent further financial loss.

Law enforcement has escalated investigative and search operations, leading to the arrest of 68 individuals and the issuance of 32 search warrants. A total of 35 search operations were executed at various locations associated with the suspects.

During these searches, authorities recovered 35 ATM cards, 37 passbooks, 80 mobile phones, 28 cheque books, 22 SIM cards, and 50 other incriminating items tied to cybercrime activities, as stated.

The Cyber Command emphasized that this crackdown is part of ongoing efforts to identify and disrupt financial channels exploited by cybercriminals while enhancing cybercrime enforcement and financial security across Karnataka.