By Our Correspondent
CUTTACK:The Central Range Police, Cuttack, has successfully concluded an intensive 13-day special operation codenamed Cyber-KAVACH”, conducted from 13th February 2026 to 25th February 2026. This focused drive was launched to combat the rising menace of **cyber financial fraud** across the seven districts under Central Range, Odisha: Cuttack, Puri, Khordha, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, and Nayagarh.
The operation specifically targeted:
– Mule bank accounts used to launder proceeds of cybercrime
– Fraudulent issuance of SIM cards by unscrupulous Point of Sale (PoS) agents
– Suspicious bulk ATM cash withdrawals
– Illegal cheque-based withdrawals
During this period, our teams carried out extensive verification, intelligence-based raids, account freezing, and coordinated action with banks and telecom providers.
### Key Achievements at a Glance
– **Mule bank accounts verified**: **3,855+** across the seven districts
– **Cases registered**: **232+**
– **Persons arrested**: **52+**
– Multiple bank accounts frozen and proceeds of crime seized
– Clear evidence of **interstate linkages** involving mule accounts operated from states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan, New Delhi, and Karnataka
### District-wise Highlights – Mule Accounts (2025 Data Compilation & 2026 Drive)
– **Jajpur**: Highest number of verifications – **959** accounts; **142** accounts frozen; **25** cases registered; **191** notices issued
– **Puri**: **801** accounts verified; **219** accounts traced to operators outside Odisha; **46** cases; **07** arrests
– **Cuttack**: **614** accounts verified; **65** cases; **34** notices; **06** arrests
– **Kendrapara**: **535** accounts verified; **44** cases; **260** notices issued; large number of account-to-account transfer transactions detected
– **Khordha**: **461** accounts verified; **30** cases; **100** notices
– **Jagatsinghpur**: **373** accounts verified; cases of self-opened accounts and victimized innocent account holders identified
– **Nayagarh**: **112** accounts verified; **58** instances where commission was paid to facilitators for opening mule accounts
### Action Against Fraudulent SIM Issuance
Several PoS agents suspected of issuing large numbers of SIM cards using forged/fraudulent documents were targeted:
– **Khordha**: 02 cases, 01 arrest, 07 PoS under verification
– **Jajpur**: 01 case, 01 arrest, suspects detained for further enquiry
– **Cuttack**: 01 case registered (Maniabandha PS Case No. 23/2026)
### ATM & Cheque Withdrawal Monitoring
**ATM-related action**
– **Khordha**: 221 ATMs checked → 10 cases, 06 arrests, **₹7.29 lakh** recovered/seized
– **Nayagarh**: 08 ATMs checked → 06 cases, 04 arrests
**Cheque-related action**
– **Puri**: 10 accounts verified → 05 cases, 04 arrests, ATM cards & cheque books seized
– **Khordha**: 13 accounts → 02 cases, **₹13.94 lakh** seized
– **Nayagarh**: 20 accounts → 04 cases
– **Kendrapara**: 09 accounts under active investigation
### Overall Impact
The “Cyber-KAVACH” drive has clearly exposed **organized interstate networks** that systematically recruit and operate mule accounts, facilitate fraudulent SIM issuance, and quickly siphon off money through coordinated ATM and cheque withdrawals.
Through proactive freezing of accounts, timely arrests, seizure of crime proceeds, and digital trail tracking, we have significantly disrupted these criminal ecosystems.
Central Range Police remains fully committed to using advanced technological tools, stronger inter-agency coordination, and continuous engagement with banks and telecom companies to make Odisha increasingly inhospitable for cyber fraudsters.
### Appeal to Citizens
We urge every citizen to stay vigilant:
– Never share OTPs, card details, or banking credentials with anyone
– Do not accept money to transfer funds or allow use of your account for unknown persons (even for small commissions)
– Immediately report any suspected cyber fraud or suspicious transaction
**Helplines**:
– National Cyber Crime Helpline → **1930**
– National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal → cybercrime.gov.in
Odisha Police, Cuttack stands resolute in its mission to safeguard the financial security of the people of Odisha.
