Hastings civic volunteer among 6 held in multi-crore cyber scam using mule bank accounts in Kolkata

Kolkata Police have arrested six individuals, including Sonu Hari, a civic volunteer attached to Hastings Police Station, in connection with a multi-crore cyber fraud case involving mule bank accounts. The arrests were made after an investigation into irregular financial transactions identified across multiple bank accounts, used for suspected fraudulent activities.

The case began in April 2023 when a private bank manager filed a written complaint at Baguiati Police Station, highlighting suspicious financial movements in 16 different bank accounts. These transactions reportedly amounted to several crores of rupees and were flagged due to their irregular patterns. Based on this complaint, an investigation was initiated to trace the origins and usage of these accounts.

According to officials, the six accused, all residents of Kolkata, were arrested while attempting to open additional bank accounts at a private bank near PNB More in Salt Lake. One of the key mule accounts was reportedly located in that branch. The arrested individuals were presented before Barasat court, which remanded them in police custody for six days.

The investigating team is now trying to identify other individuals potentially involved in the network and trace the flow of the diverted funds. The accounts in question are believed to have been used for routing proceeds from cyber fraud. Authorities noted that in some cases, the original account holders may have been unaware of their accounts being misused for illegal transactions.