Balasore: In a major crackdown on cyber fraud, the Balasore police arrested four inter-state fraudsters and seized a large number of ATM cards, cheque books, and other incriminating materials from their possession.

The arrests were made as part of a special drive titled ‘Cyber Kabach’. The accused have been identified as Goutam Kumar Das, Rabindra Kumar Majhi, Karik Singh, and Dinakrushan Behera of Khantapada.

Speaking on the modus operandi, Balasore DSP Gayatri Pradhan said the accused were defrauding unsuspecting people using mule accounts. They allegedly opened savings bank accounts in the names of individuals and rented them out to fraudsters operating from outside the state to facilitate illegal transactions.

The police seized 147 ATM cards, 49 cheque books, four smartphones, and a Hyundai vehicle from the accused.

The officer further said at least 25 cyber fraud cases are pending against the accused in different states. Preliminary investigation also revealed the accused carried out fraudulent transactions worth ₹58 lakh in Odisha using mule accounts.

Further investigation into the case is underway.