Pune Police have appealed to citizens never to hand over their bank accounts, ATM cards, cheque books, internet banking credentials or one-time passwords (OTPs) to anyone. (Representative Image)PUNE CITY registered 132 criminal cases, have arrested 152 mule account holders and issued notices to around 2,100 more account holders in the last two weeks as part of a nationwide drive to dismantle the financial backbone of online scams.The operation targets mule accounts used by cyber criminals to receive and transfer proceeds of fraud in a bid to choke the money trail behind digital crimes.Under the nationwide campaign Operation Mule Hunt, Pune Police intensified their crackdown on individuals who provide or rent out bank accounts to cyber fraudsters.The exercise is aimed at identifying, freezing and prosecuting holders of bank accounts used in cyber frauds reported across the country. Acting on intelligence shared through the Union Home Ministry’s Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Pune City police registered 132 criminal cases across all police stations in the city in the last two weeks against suspected mule account holders after tracing transactions linked to cybercrime complaints from multiple states.“We have registered 132 cases in connection to the mule accounts that have been flagged in cases filed across India. Based on information received from banks and financial institutions, 152 accused have been arrested in these cases. Police have also begun action on 1,705 notices received through the national cyber crime portal from other states. Simultaneously, 2,099 notices have been issued from Pune to authorities in other states, seeking action against suspected mule account holders and others linked to cyber crime networks,” said a senior officer.Investigations are underway in several states and in Maharashtra arrests have been made in Pune, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar among other places. Charge sheets have already been filed in several of these cases.“We are examining the financial transactions, mobile call records, digital evidence and banking details of the accused to trace links with organised cyber crime syndicates. Mule account holders play a crucial role in helping fraudsters move stolen money quickly, making it difficult for law enforcement agencies to track the proceeds of crime. As a result, action is being taken not only against cyber fraudsters but also against those who knowingly provide bank accounts for illegal transactions.” the officer added.Story continues below this adPune Police have appealed to citizens never to hand over their bank accounts, ATM cards, cheque books, internet banking credentials or one-time passwords (OTPs) to anyone. People have also been advised not to share SIM cards, mobile numbers, email IDs, Aadhaar numbers, PAN details or other personal information with strangers. Officials warned that those allowing their accounts to be used for suspicious transactions could face criminal prosecution as co-accused in cyber crime cases.Alongside enforcement, Pune Police have launched an extensive public awareness campaign.During 2026, awareness programmes have been conducted at 1,142 locations, reaching more than three lakh citizens with messages on cyber safety and financial fraud prevention.The campaign has covered schools, colleges, IT companies, housing societies and government offices through the “Campus Connect – Safe Horizon” initiative. The programmes focus on cyber security, online financial fraud, mule accounts and responsible digital behaviour. Police have urged citizens to immediately report any information related to mule accounts or cyber fraud to the nearest police station or cyber police unit.Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories