JAMMU: In a major action against cyberterrorism and financial crimes, Counter-Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) on January 7 launched a massive crackdown on mule bank accounts allegedly used to fuel cyber fraud and terror funding.
Officials said that as part of the ongoing probe, CIK teams conducted coordinated raids at 22 locations across Kashmir, including more than 15 in Srinagar district alone. Multiple premises linked to suspected mule account operators and facilitators were searched simultaneously.
“The operation is aimed at dismantling networks involved in routing illicit funds through mule accounts, which are suspected to be used for cyber frauds as well as for financing terror-related activities”.
Searches were underway at several locations at the time of filing this report. Further details are awaited as the investigation progresses.
Meanwhile, J&K has booked seven landlords in Jammu for allegedly keeping tenants in their premises without mandatory police verification, officials said. The action was taken last week as part of an intensified tenant verification drive ahead of the Republic Day celebrations on January 26, aimed at strengthening security arrangements across the city. Police Station Bahu Fort registered five FIRs under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against house owners for violating the orders of the District Magistrate, Jammu, by failing to verify tenants. In addition, two similar FIRs were registered at Police Station Channi Himmat, police said.
The cases were lodged during routine verification and enforcement drives to ensure strict compliance with tenant verification norms, particularly in light of enhanced security measures ahead of Republic Day. Police reiterated their appeal to all landlords to strictly follow tenant verification guidelines and cooperate with the police. “Citizens are urged to remain vigilant and extend full cooperation to maintain peace and law and order, and to ensure a safe and secure environment during the forthcoming Republic Day celebrations,” the police said.
To streamline the process, the Jammu and Kashmir Police launched an online tenant verification portal, ‘Kirayedar’, on December 20 last year, to address gaps in tenant reporting despite ongoing enforcement action against defaulters.
Unauthorised and illegal use of VPN services on mobile phones and other electronic devices is another area the police are focusing on. In many districts, authorities have issued bans on VPN services and conducted random device inspections to identify those who may still be using them. In the last fortnight, this scrutiny has led to several such cases being detected.
Incidentally, VPN services in J&K are under intense scrutiny and have been temporarily banned in several districts due to security concerns, with authorities citing misuse for anti-national activities, cyber threats, and coordinating unrest; police are actively identifying users, registering cases, and taking preventive action under new laws like the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), as encrypted platforms enable bypassing monitoring and spreading misinformation. Those involved in anti-national activities have often used VPN services to hoodwink the security agencies.
The move of many district authorities in J&K banning VPN services for limited periods has drawn attention, as these services are otherwise legal in most parts of the country
These are often used for privacy, secure browsing and access to geo-restricted content. This appears to be part of the standard routine in the run-up to the Republic Day celebrations in J&K.
