Security agencies bust hawala racket in Jammu and Kashmir, 8,000 mule accounts with anti-India activities frozen
PTC News Desk: Security agencies have detected a fast-growing network of so-called “mule accounts” in Jammu and Kashmir, which investigators believe serves as a key financial channel for international scam operations. Officials fear that funds routed through these accounts could eventually be used to back separatist or anti-national activities.
Over the last three years, more than 8,000 such accounts have been identified and frozen across the region, exposing a complex web used to launder illegal money. Investigators say mule accounts are among the weakest yet most critical links in the cybercrime chain, as they enable criminals to move stolen funds into hard-to-trace digital assets like cryptocurrency.
To tackle the issue, central security agencies have instructed the Jammu and Kashmir Police and other enforcement authorities to coordinate with banks to curb the rise of these accounts.
Efforts are also underway to identify and apprehend intermediaries, often referred to as “mulers,” who facilitate the movement of fraudulent funds.
Officials noted that after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) intensified its crackdown on unlawful financial flows into the region in 2017, anti-national groups appear to have shifted tactics. Instead of using conventional methods, they are now suspected of adopting what authorities call a “digital hawala” network.
- With inputs from agencies
