Pune, Apr 23, 2025: In a recent development, the cyber cell of the Pimpri-Chinchwad police has apprehended two individuals for their involvement in aiding cybercrime fraudsters by providing mule bank accounts. The individuals in question were found to be collaborating with fraudsters from Pakistan and Dubai, leading to a significant financial loss for a retired senior citizen from the state irrigation department.
The incident came to light on March 24 when the senior citizen fell victim to a share market fraud, resulting in a staggering loss of ₹2.52 crore. The accused, who eventually turned into a police witness, initiated contact with the victim through social media, enticing him with promises of lucrative investment returns. It was only after the senior citizen realized that he had been swindled that he approached the authorities for help.
Following the report of the incident, Balasaheb Sakharam Chaure from Kaij in Beed district was arrested by the cyber police in connection with the case. Pravin Swami, assistant police inspector at the cyber cell of Pimpri-Chinchwad police, disclosed, “Upon further investigation, it was discovered that a portion of the fraudulent funds had been funneled into a bank account in Sangli. Subsequently, our teams swiftly proceeded to Sangli and apprehended Amol Patil, who had provided his bank account to Yunus Dilawar Chaughule on a 6% commission basis.”
Both individuals were detained in Sangli on April 17, with Yunus Dilawar identified as the proprietor of a mobile shop. Furthermore, it was revealed during the investigation that the two arrested culprits had collaborated with an individual from Madhya Pradesh after meeting him in the region. The authorities suspect that Yunus Dilawar’s role involved procuring bank accounts from Sangli and transferring them to the individual residing in Madhya Pradesh. To date, Yunus had furnished 8 to 10 bank accounts to the Madhya Pradesh-based individual, for which he received commissions ranging from ₹2 to ₹2.5 lakh each.
The police indicated that efforts are underway to locate and apprehend the individual from Madhya Pradesh. The probe unveiled that Chaure was linked to a cybercrime syndicate operated by a Pakistani national, while Ganesh Kale was associated with Dubai. Chaure’s responsibility entailed sourcing mule bank accounts from the Marathwada region for the duo.
“Kale, who worked as a MLM executive in a company, came into contact with Chaure. Kale and the Pakistani national then enlisted Chaure’s services to procure mule bank accounts on a commission basis. Chaure has thus far provided 15 to 20 such bank accounts from the Marathwada region and received ₹2.5 lakh as commission. He would collect official documents from uneducated individuals, laborers, and drivers to facilitate the opening of these bank accounts. Additionally, he maintained connections with cybergangs operating in Dubai, Nepal, and other global locations,” explained Pravin Swami, assistant inspector at the Pimpri-Chinchwad police cyber cell.
The investigation is ongoing, as authorities strive to dismantle the network of cybercrime fraudsters and bring all perpetrators to justice. The collaboration between cybercriminals and facilitators highlights the need for heightened vigilance and cybersecurity measures to safeguard individuals from falling prey to such fraudulent schemes.