Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], June 1 (ANI): Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the Gujarat Government is intensifying its fight against cybercrime through targeted statewide operations. As part of this drive, Gujarat Police, under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, conducted a special operation through the Cyber Centre of Excellence, taking action against mule accounts and exposing cyber fraud worth 2,289 crore across multiple cases.

The Gujarat Chief Minister's office stated that a mule account is a bank account used by cybercriminals to receive, transfer or launder money obtained through fraud. The person operating such an account is known as a 'money mule'. These accounts are often used to move money from one account to another, making it difficult to trace cybercrime transactions. Mule accounts are used, knowingly or unknowingly, in cyber fraud. To curb such misuse, the Gujarat Police has launched a special operation to identify and take strict action against mule accounts.

Operation Mule Hunt 1.0 was conducted by the Gujarat Police and the Cyber Centre of Excellence (CCOE) in 2025 to target mule accounts linked to cybercrime. The operation involved all Police Commissioners, Range Heads, Local Crime Branch Inspectors and Cyber Police Stations across Gujarat. Daily monitoring of the operation was conducted from the head office, with regular progress reviews. The Gujarat Police team analysed data received from the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), the NCRP Portal, the Coordination Portal, and the 1930 Helpline. Based on this intelligence, nodal officers were appointed in every district, and dedicated support teams were formed to handle field complaints. Banks were also instructed to ensure real-time data sharing for better coordination. Through data-driven intelligence and coordinated action, Gujarat Police succeeded in taking strong action against the criminal network of mule accounts.

Operation Mule Hunt 1.0 has delivered significant results in the fight against financial cybercrime, marked by a robust series of enforcement actions. The operation led to the registration of 565 FIRs and the successful arrest of 638 individuals involved in illicit activities. Enforcement agencies took direct action against 913 identified 'mule' accounts used to facilitate illegal transactions. Furthermore, the initiative was instrumental in uncovering a total economic fraud amounting to 2,289 crore. In total, 4,052 cybercrime cases were identified across the country, with 491 of those cases specifically originating from Gujarat.

Operation Mule Hunt 1.0 has marked a significant advancement in combating financial cybercrime through a series of robust enforcement actions. The initiative successfully led to the registration of 565 FIRs and the arrest of 638 individuals involved in illicit activities, while also taking decisive action against 913 'mule' accounts utilised to facilitate fraudulent transactions. Furthermore, the operation was instrumental in uncovering widespread economic fraud totalling 2,289 crore, a press release from the Gujarat CMO stated.

Overall, the campaign identified 4,052 cybercrime cases across the nation, of which 491 were specifically traced to Gujarat.

For an efficient and proactive action against mule accounts, the Reserve Bank of India has introduced an AI-based risk-scoring system through the Indian Digital Payment Intelligence Corporation (IDPIC). Under this system, every transaction will be classified as low, medium, or high risk to help identify suspicious accounts. Based on these risk scores, banks can take necessary action. IDPIC has been designated as the nodal agency for this initiative. A registry called http://mulehunter.ai/ has also been created to facilitate the information sharing on suspicious accounts among banks.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly raised concerns over rising cybercrime cases, including incidents like digital arrest, and urged citizens to stay alert while carrying out digital transactions. Under his leadership, India has undergone a major digital transformation over the last 11 years. Internet users have grown from 25 crore to over 100 crore. The BharatNet initiative has connected systems from Parliament to Panchayats, becoming a key milestone of Digital India, while broadband connectivity has increased by 16%, the Gujarat CMO stated.

Under BharatNet, only 546 Panchayats were connected 11 years ago, compared to more than 2 lakh Gram Panchayats today. UPI transactions have also surged, reflecting the rapid shift towards digital payments. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has stated that cybersecurity is no longer limited to economic safety but is now closely linked with national security.

He noted that strengthening economic, social, administrative, and national security in the digital era is a shared responsibility to further drive this digital revolution. (ANI)