Statewide crackdown on ‘mule bank accounts’

Jaipur: The Rajasthan police have launched a crackdown across the state on people who allow their bank accounts to be used by cybercriminals in exchange for a small commission. These alleged mule account holders are now being arrested even when no direct case of cybercrime has been registered in the state. Police are invoking Section 170 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), a preventive provision that allows arrests to stop an offence from occurring. The arrests are being made on suspicion of these accounts being used for cybercrime transactions.In Churu district, police reviewed a list of 30 suspected mule account holders. After reviewing the details, they found one Banwari Lal Soni's account linked to fraudulent cyber activity. He was arrested under Section 170 of the BNSS.A similar operation was carried out in Mahuwa area of Dausa district Friday where police detained five people after their bank accounts were flagged by the national cybercrime portal. Cases were registered against them and their transaction details are being forwarded to police in other states where the original complaints have been filed.According to Mahuwa SHO Rajendra Kumar, the five arrested are Rajkumar Meena of Salimpur, Yaduveer Jatav of Hadiya, Hariya Jatav of Khedla Gadali, Lokesh Jatav of Lalpur, and Amar Singh Meena of Santha Mahuwa. Police said the individuals failed to offer any satisfactory explanation for the suspicious transactions in their accounts.Officers added that they were also investigating the possible involvement of bank staff. Many of those detained reportedly received only a small share of the money and claimed they were unaware of the illegal nature of the transactions. Police, however, stress that ignorance does not give them an excuse for being involved in cybercrime, and even ‘unintentional' participation is a punishable offence.The campaign began after cybercrime complaints revealed suspicious transaction patterns in several districts. Based on this data, the state's cybercrime unit compiled a list of suspect accounts and shared it with district SPs for further action.Local police units, in coordination with cyber forensic teams and banks, are now closely monitoring these flagged accounts. While enforcement remains a key focus, police said they also aim to raise awareness about the risks of sharing bank access and the legal consequences of it.