New Delhi, Jan 7 (NationPress) Recent operations by the Counter Intelligence Wing (CIK) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police linked to a cyber terror investigation have revealed numerous mule accounts.

The raids spanned various locations throughout the Valley, uncovering a significant number of functioning mule accounts.

This initiative aimed to dismantle accounts involved in cyber fraud and terror financing.

Following actionable intelligence, the CIK executed raids at nearly 22 sites across the Kashmir Valley.

An official stated that these raids were focused on identifying individuals associated with this network, which was unlawfully channeling funds for terror-related activities.

The timing of these raids coincides with the ISI's efforts to rejuvenate home-grown terror factions in Jammu and Kashmir. With the difficulty of infiltrations, Pakistan has opted to establish a dedicated terror module operating from within the region.

To counter any such strategies by the ISI, police have bolstered security across Jammu and Kashmir, enhancing measures both in physical locations and the online domain.

This includes a prohibition on the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) throughout the Valley.

An official from the Intelligence Bureau noted an uptick in online activities by ISI-affiliated elements, attempting to leverage mule accounts to transfer funds intended for the establishment of terror infrastructure.

Additionally, the funds are being utilized to reconstruct the Over Ground Worker (OWG) networks in the region. Reports also suggest that the ISI is plotting an all-female OWG network in Jammu and Kashmir.

The crackdown on VPNs commenced earlier this month. On January 2, authorities flagged 140 individuals for violating the recently imposed VPN ban.

In Pulwama alone, 100 individuals were identified for breaching the ban. So far, actions have been taken against 49 people for their violations, according to police reports.

There is an ongoing effort to utilize mule accounts for monetary transfers in Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier this year, agencies identified at least 7,000 such accounts orchestrating financial transactions at the behest of Pakistan.

Another official noted that these accounts were registered under individuals and businesses but were manipulated by remote fraudsters.

These individuals await funds to be deposited, which are then swiftly redirected to other accounts. There have been cases where funds were converted into cryptocurrency to obscure tracking.

Officials involved in cyber crime investigations assert that most recent terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir have been financed through these mule accounts.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), currently investigating the Pahalgam attack case, is examining whether the attackers received funding from these mule accounts. It is suspected that once the perpetrators reached Pahalgam, funds were transferred to them via mule accounts.

These accounts are believed to be remotely managed from Pakistan. The ISI has been exploiting mule accounts to finance terror activities due to their low detection probability.

Such accounts often belong to elderly or deceased individuals, allowing perpetrators to disguise their true identities while managing these accounts, complicating tracing efforts.

Transactions involving these accounts are layered through multiple banks, further complicating tracking.

Intelligence reports indicate that this will pose a significant challenge for security agencies, which are collaborating with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and various banks to address this issue.

Recently, the RBI Innovation Hub launched MuleHunter AI, a sophisticated system aimed at detecting and neutralizing mule accounts and their associated activities, according to officials.

A trial with two public sector banks yielded promising results, and this technology will soon be deployed across all banks nationwide, officials noted.