Mule bank account gang busted, 14 held

Khammam police have busted a major mule bank account racket linked to cyber fraud and arrested 14 persons in connection with the case.

Kallur ACP Vasundhara Yadav said that the Sathupalli police arrested Udathaneni Vikas Chowdhury, the prime accused in a cyber fraud case involving Rs 547 crore, along with 13 others. All the accused have been remanded to judicial custody. She added that the investigation will continue at the field level to uncover the wider network and money trail.

According to police officials, Vikas Chowdhury, his wife Boppana Nagapriya, and Adapa Rama Venkata Charan Chowdhary allegedly played key roles in operating the racket. While Vikas, Charan, and 12 associates have been taken into custody, Nagapriya and seven others are absconding. Police teams have launched a search to apprehend them.

Investigations revealed that the accused induced a complainant to share bank account details, which were later misused to collect and transfer large sums obtained through various online cyber crimes. The gang allegedly used these accounts to route funds generated from fraudulent activities.

Police said the accused opened bank accounts using 22 individuals by offering commissions ranging between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000. The account holders were reportedly told that the accounts were required for stock market and cryptocurrency trading, thereby misleading them.

Officials stated that the operation involved systematic cheating and unauthorised financial transactions through multiple accounts. Further investigation is underway to identify additional victims and trace the flow of funds linked to the fraud.