The Gujarat Police, led by Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, have conducted a major operation against cybercrime, resulting in the registration of 565 FIRs and the arrest of 638 individuals involved in fraud related to mule accounts.
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the state government intensified its efforts to combat cybercrime through the Cyber Centre of Excellence and launched Operation Mule Hunt 1.0 in 2025. The campaign focused on identifying and taking strict action against mule accounts, which are bank accounts exploited by cybercriminals to receive, transfer, or launder money obtained through fraud.
The operation involved all Police Commissioners, Range Heads, Local Crime Branch Inspectors, and Cyber Police Stations across Gujarat, with daily monitoring and progress reviews from the head office. Data from the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), the NCRP Portal, the Coordination Portal, and the 1930 Helpline was analysed to appoint nodal officers and form support teams in every district. Banks were instructed to share real-time data to aid coordination.
Through data-driven intelligence and collaborative enforcement, Gujarat Police took action against 913 identified mule accounts, exposing cyber fraud worth ₹2,289 crore across multiple cases. Statewide, 491 cybercrime cases were traced to Gujarat as part of the 4,052 cases identified nationally.
To enhance detection and prevention, the Reserve Bank of India introduced an AI-based risk-scoring system via the Indian Digital Payment Intelligence Corporation (IDPIC). The system categorises transactions as low, medium, or high risk to help banks identify suspicious accounts. IDPIC acts as the nodal agency, and a registry, https://mulehunter.ai/, has been created to facilitate information sharing on suspicious accounts among banks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasised the need for public vigilance during digital transactions amid rising cybercrime, citing the country’s significant digital growth over the past 11 years. Internet users have increased from 25 crore to over 100 crore, and the BharatNet initiative has expanded connectivity from 546 Panchayats to over 200,000 Gram Panchayats. Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions have also surged, reflecting a shift toward digital payments.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that cybersecurity extends beyond economic safety to national security. He highlighted that strengthening economic, social, administrative, and national security in the digital era is a shared responsibility to support India’s digital revolution.