Odisha STF arrests one more accused in inter-state mule bank account racket

The Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha police arrested one more accused in the mule bank account case taking the total arrests to four.

The accused has been identified as Samim Islam from Gudhia village under Murshidabad district in West Bengal.

He was arrested on December 4 and was produced before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Lalbag, Murshidabad. He was brought to Bhubaneswar on a three-day transit remand.

He will be produced before the court of SDJM, Bhubaneswar. Islam was one of the key members of the racket with links mainly in West Bengal and Bihar.

Earlier, the STF had arrested three persons for their alleged involvement in running an inter-state racket of mule bank accounts.

The accused were identified as Sheikh Hapizul and Sheikh Jahangir of Olamara in Balasore district and Sheikh Jamaluddin of Rampura of West Medinapur, West Bengal.

They were running mule bank accounts and sold these bank accounts along with the connected mobile numbers to various cyber, cyber-financial, sextortion scammers and other criminals based in Kolkata and other parts of India.

This racket operated mainly in the tri-junction area of Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, especially in the districts of Balasore, Mayurbhanj, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, East Sighbhoom, West Singhbhoom, and Saraikela, informed the STF.

This racket was headed by Sk Jamiruddin of West Midnapore, West Bengal. He had employed around 10-15 people at a salary of 15000 per month to open bank accounts. These members visited various interior areas of these districts targeting mainly poor villagers/ tribal and luring them into opening bank accounts. Villagers were generally offered Rs 2000 per account for giving their documents and opening bank accounts.

However, the mobile numbers linked with bank accounts were provided by gang members.