Kozhikode police have arrested six people in a district-wide drive named Operation Cy-Hunt against bank accounts allegedly rented out to cyber-fraud networks, in inspections carried out across the city and rural police jurisdictions on Wednesday, November 11.

Source: Mirror Now

Police said the six arrested were Arun (20) of Thiruvallur; Vivek Santhosh (25) and Devjith Sunil (23), both of Chorode; Anurag (31) and Shoukath Ali (28), both of Kottappally; and Sajeesh (43) of Memunda. They are alleged to have leased or rented their personal bank accounts to fraud syndicates for use in online scams. The allegations are under investigation and have not been proved in court.

According to the police account reported by Mirror Now, legal action has been taken against 37 individuals in the drive, including five women. Within the Kozhikode city police limits, 14 cases were registered, and a further 23 cases were filed in the rural jurisdiction, taking the district total to 37 cases.

Vadakara accounts and the cash-withdrawal chain

In the Vadakara part of the same November 11 action, six people were arrested for allegedly allowing cyber-fraud operators to access their bank accounts for commissions, and transactions worth Rs 38.65 lakh were traced through six accounts, Outlook Money reported, citing The New Indian Express. Cases were registered against 21 people for their alleged role in withdrawing money through ATMs and cheques and passing it on to operators.

Source: Outlook Money

Police say such rented, or 'mule', accounts form the financial pipeline through which money taken in online scams is moved and laundered, and that Operation Cy-Hunt is aimed at cutting off that infrastructure. Officials said the operation is ongoing and the extent of the networks is still being investigated.