Imphal: In a significant breakthrough in the fight against cybercrime, Manipur Police on Friday arrested two individuals from Assam in Imphal West district for their alleged involvement in an inter-state cybercrime racket.
According to police officials, the arrests were made near the Khuman Lampak locality following specific intelligence inputs.
The duo, hailing from Assam’s Barpeta and Chirang districts, was reportedly operating a cybercrime syndicate using mule bank accounts to facilitate illegal financial transactions.
“Mule accounts” refer to bank accounts that are used to receive and transfer money obtained through unlawful means, often without the knowledge of the account holders.
In this case, however, police believe the accused were directly managing these accounts as part of a wider cybercriminal operation.
The accused are suspected to be part of a broader criminal network tasked with collecting sensitive personal information, including Aadhaar numbers and bank account details, which are then misused for fraudulent financial activities.
“Preliminary investigation has revealed that the arrested individuals were actively engaged in sourcing confidential credentials from unsuspecting citizens, which were then used to run a series of financial frauds across state borders,” a senior police officer said.
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Police also confirmed that at least two of the bank accounts linked to the accused were already flagged in the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal for their connection to economic offences in multiple states.
Further investigation is underway to trace the extent of the racket, identify other members of the network, and determine how far-reaching the operation was.
Authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant and refrain from sharing personal financial details with unverified individuals or platforms, as such data can be exploited in cybercrimes.
