Hyderabad Police arrest man for supplying mule accounts and SIM cards to cyber fraudsters

A 24-year-old man was arrested for supplying mule bank accounts and registered SIM cards to cyber fraudsters, including Chinese nationals operating through Telegram. He was also involved in a digital arrest fraud in which a woman was cheated of ₹6.6 lakh by persons impersonating Bengaluru Police, an officer from the Hyderabad cyber crime police said.

The accused, Sambit Kumar Naik, a freelance model from Rourkela in Odisha, was residing in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. Police seized a mobile phone from him. Investigators said he arranged bank accounts, ATM cards, cheque books and SIM cards and facilitated the forwarding of banking-related OTPs to enable fraudulent transactions and route the proceeds.

The case came to light when a woman was contacted through WhatsApp by fraudsters posing as Bengaluru Police. “Using the police logo, fabricated investigation reports and forged official documents, they threatened her with legal action under the pretext of a digital arrest and induced her to transfer ₹6,60,543 from her Union Bank of India pension account,” said the officer.

The complaint was lodged by a family member after the woman died on September 8, 2025. According to the complaint, she had been subjected to continuous threats and mental harassment and suffered severe cardiac distress before her death. The complaint was received by Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police on September 15, 2025.

During the investigation, police found that Naik had come into contact with cyber fraudsters through Telegram due to financial difficulties and agreed to arrange bank accounts for commissions. He subsequently established links with a person identified as Viraj and Chinese nationals operating from Cambodia in the name of HYPAY Company, police said.

Investigators said Naik involved other associates in collecting bank accounts and SIM cards and received commissions based on transactions routed through them. Police also found that around three cybercrime cases across India were linked to suspected fraudulent transactions through an ICICI Bank account associated with him.

Naik had earlier been arrested by Pimpri Chinchwad Cyber Crime Police in January 2025 and by Kalepadal police in another case. He spent around six months in judicial custody before being released and allegedly resumed his involvement in cyber fraud activities.

He was apprehended on November 8, 2026. Further investigation is underway to identify other members of the network and trace the financial transactions.