Gujarat Police's Cyber Centre of Excellence (CCoE) has arrested two men from Mehsana district for allegedly funnelling corporate bank accounts equipped with 'Bulk Mode' transaction facilities to a cybercrime syndicate. The accounts have been linked to cyber fraud complaints totalling approximately ₹1.5 crore across multiple states, according to officials.

The Arrests and Legal Charges

The two accused — Parth Barot, a resident of Ramnagar Society on Kamana Road in Visnagar, and Rameshkumar Lavana, a resident of Dipda Darwaja near Ashapuri Mata Temple in Visnagar — were apprehended in Visnagar before being formally placed under arrest. Both were taken into custody as part of 'Operation Mule Hunt 2.0', a targeted crackdown on money mule networks facilitating cybercrime.

The case was registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station under Sections 61(2), 317(2) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act. According to the CCoE, six other accused had already been arrested in the same case, with investigators continuing to trace remaining members of the network.

How the Scheme Operated

Investigators allege that Barot and Lavana acted as intermediaries between account holders and the syndicate. The duo reportedly approached holders of corporate or business bank accounts — which carry Bulk Mode facilities enabling simultaneous multiple transactions or payments — and persuaded them to hand over sensitive credentials in exchange for commission.

According to police, the accused collected Aadhaar and PAN cards, cheque-book photographs, front and back images of ATM cards, and internet banking IDs and passwords from account holders. They also allegedly verified that the credentials were functional before passing them on to the syndicate.

In a further step, account holders were reportedly persuaded to install APK files on their devices — a tactic that would allow the syndicate to bypass one-time password (OTP) requirements and operate the accounts remotely without further contact with the holder.

Scale of Fraud Uncovered

Verification of the recovered account details against the national '1930' cybercrime reporting portal and the Samanvay portal revealed fraud complaints amounting to approximately ₹1.5 crore. Investigators found 22 acknowledgement numbers linked to the accounts across India, including six in Gujarat. Among the flagged complaints were two digital-arrest cases registered in Maharashtra, according to the CCoE. Two mobile phones were seized from the arrested accused.

Why Bulk Mode Accounts Are Targeted

Bulk Mode facilities — typically available on corporate internet banking platforms, business current accounts, and government department accounts — allow a single login to push multiple transactions simultaneously. This makes them significantly more valuable to fraud syndicates than ordinary savings accounts, as they enable rapid, large-scale movement of stolen funds before detection. This is not the first time such accounts have been exploited; investigators across states have flagged the misuse of corporate banking infrastructure as a growing vector in organised cybercrime.

What Comes Next

The investigation remains active, with the CCoE working to identify and trace additional members of the syndicate. The arrests mark the latest development in Gujarat's broader push against cyber-enabled financial crime, and the scale of the network — spanning multiple states and fraud categories including digital arrest scams — suggests the probe is far from complete.