CIK raids 22 locations in Srinagar, targets mule bank accounts linked to cyber fraud and terror financing

In a major pre-dawn crackdown, the Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday launched a sweeping operation targeting a network of mule bank accounts allegedly involved in cyber fraud and terror financing. The coordinated action saw raids carried out at more than 22 locations in Srinagar, with several additional searches conducted across various districts of the Kashmir Valley.

Acting on specific intelligence inputs, the CIK carried out simultaneous raids at multiple locations in a coordinated effort to dismantle the financial backbone of cyber terror modules. Sources familiar with the investigation said the mule bank accounts often operated by unsuspecting individuals or coerced locals were being used to channel illicit funds, facilitating terror-related activities as well as large-scale online fraud targeting victims across the country.

The raids, conducted as part of an ongoing cyber terror investigation, led to the seizure of crucial digital evidence, including electronic devices, banking documents, and detailed transaction records. While no arrests were confirmed immediately, officials said several suspects have come under the scanner, with search operations still underway.

The operation underscores the CIK’s intensified focus on countering hybrid threats that combine cybercrime with terrorism, an emerging and growing challenge in Jammu and Kashmir amid increasing digital radicalisation. Similar crackdowns in recent months have led to the disruption of terror financing networks, with investigators uncovering and freezing crores of rupees linked to suspicious transactions.