Maharashtra's cyber police have begun a statewide effort to dismantle the networks used to move and withdraw money obtained through online fraud, identifying thousands of bank accounts, SIM cards and so-called money mule accounts suspected of being tied to fraudulent transactions, NDTV reported.
According to Maharashtra Cyber Department, the initiative, titled “Operation 1930: Cyber Safety”, was launched on July 1, 2026, with the objective of identifying and dismantling networks used to route and withdraw proceeds of cyber fraud.
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As part of the operation, police units across the state have registered 803 proactive FIRs against individuals and entities allegedly facilitating cybercrimes.
The crackdown identified 2,717 Layer-1 money mule accounts across 57 banks, linked to disputed transactions worth approximately Rs 12.57 crore, the department said.
Police also identified 17,014 bank accounts and 10,075 ATM IDs allegedly connected to fraudulent withdrawals amounting to Rs 70.14 crore.
In addition, 3,597 bank accounts were found to be linked to cheque fraud involving transactions worth Rs 89.30 crore, according to the Maharashtra Cyber Department.
The operation also flagged 5,684 suspected SIM cards, which were directly linked to 7,312 cybercrime complaints across Maharashtra.
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These numbers have been identified for further action by the authorities.
To speed up the registration and investigation of cyber fraud cases, Maharashtra introduced the E-Zero FIR mechanism on July 10.
Under the system, online financial fraud complaints involving more than Rs 5 lakh are automatically converted into E-Zero FIRs.
The complainant is required to sign the FIR within 72 hours for further legal action.
The state's 1930 cyber helpline has also been strengthened and is currently handling between 8,000 and 10,000 calls daily, while maintaining a reported 100% call pick-up rate.
Maharashtra Cyber said timely intervention during the first seven months of 2026 helped prevent approximately Rs 514.36 crore from being siphoned off.
The cumulative amount of citizens' money safeguarded through such interventions has crossed Rs 1,700 crore, it added.
Separately, the Grievance Redressal Module (GRM) has resolved more than 5,800 complaints involving wrongful debit freezes or lien markings on bank accounts.
The newly introduced Money Restoration Module (MRM) allows defrauded amounts of up to Rs 50,000 per account to be returned to victims without a court order.
Since its launch on July 1, the mechanism has facilitated the restoration of Rs 25.46 crore to thousands of cyber fraud victims, Maharashtra Cyber said.
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