Bengaluru Cyber Command Unit arrests two Mangaluru men in China-linked mule account fraud

Bengaluru Cyber Command Unit arrests two Mangaluru men in China-linked mule account fraud

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Mar 12, 2026: The State Cyber Command Unit has arrested two men from Mangaluru for their alleged involvement in a China-linked mule bank account fraud network.

The operation was carried out under the leadership of Additional DGP (Cyber Crime and Narcotics) Pronob Mohanty, leading to the arrest of Mohammed Anees and Saleeth Ahmed, both residents of Mangaluru.

According to police, the accused collected bank account details from members of the public under the pretext of running a trading business. These details were later used to facilitate cyber fraud operations. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, cyber crime officials tracked down and arrested the two suspects.

During the operation, police seized four mobile phones, 18 debit cards, 17 bank passbooks, six cheque books, 1,479.31 USDT (cryptocurrency), and a car from the accused.

Investigations revealed that the China-linked mule account racket operated in an organised and systematic manner. Police said Chinese cyber fraudsters sought cryptocurrency at lower prices, and the accused allegedly purchased cryptocurrency from Indians at cheaper rates.

They remained in contact with the Chinese cybercriminals through WhatsApp and Telegram and later sold the same cryptocurrency to them at higher prices. In return, the accused received payments in Indian rupees.

To facilitate these transactions, the accused collected bank account details from residents of Mangaluru.

Police said more than 70 bank accounts were gathered and handed over to the Chinese operators. The Chinese cyber fraudsters then transferred money into these accounts, which was later found to have been generated through cyber fraud.

Investigators said the accused were aware that the funds were linked to cybercrime but allegedly continued assisting the foreign fraudsters for financial gain.

Officials also revealed that 37 bank accounts used in the racket are linked to more than 88 complaints registered across the country. Further investigations into the financial transactions are underway.