‘Mule account’ holder for cyber criminals held

The accused Narendra Narayne is currently in the custody of the Nehru Nagar police station.

Police on Friday arrested a man who they believe was operating more than four “mule accounts” on behalf of cyber criminals in various banks across the city. The accused, Narendra Narayne, currently in the custody of the Nehru Nagar police station, would allegedly use these bank accounts to deposit money siphoned off by cyber criminals, keep a cut for himself, and pass on the rest to a Nigerian national, suspected to be involved in cyber crimes.

An officer from Nehru Nagar police station received a tip-off that Narayne, a resident of Kamgar Nagar in Kurla (east), had used fake PAN cards and election I-cards to open bogus bank accounts. When a police team checked his residence, they found PAN cards and other documents in the name of Bhima More. The documents, however, bore Narayne’s photograph.

Foreigners involved in cyber fraud need bank accounts that cannot be traced back to them. They strike deals with locals to park money in their accounts, called mule accounts. “We are trying to find the common link between Narayne and the Nigerian national and how much money has been transferred over the years,” the officer added. Senior inspector of Nehru Nagar police station Sanjay Kale confirmed the arrest. Police found cheque books and pass books from various banks in Bhima More’s name. Police found a receipt that shows payments made to a Nigerian national. They also found over Rs 1.5 lakh in cash and jewellery.

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