Bengaluru police have successfully busted a large-scale cybercrime operation, arresting a 22-year-old college dropout, Mohammed Uzaif, and his mother, Sabana Abdul Bari. The duo is accused of masterminding a network of 'mule accounts' used to launder approximately ₹240 crore derived from various online investment and gambling frauds. Uzaif, a BCom dropout, along with his mother, allegedly managed around 4,200 bank accounts, while the broader gang utilized nearly 9,000 such accounts to facilitate the illegal transfer of funds across India and internationally. Their modus operandi involved enticing economically vulnerable individuals with payments ranging from ₹2,000 to ₹8,000 to open bank accounts, from which they then collected debit cards, passbooks, and cheque books. These items were subsequently used to route funds obtained from cybercrimes, effectively hiding the money trail. The investigation, which saw arrests made in multiple states including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand, has linked the gang to at least 864 cybercrime cases nationwide. Police seizures were substantial, including 242 debit cards, 58 mobile phones, 531 grams of gold ornaments, ₹4.9 lakh in cash, nine luxury wristwatches, 33 cheque books, 21 passbooks, a digital payment ring, and a cryptocurrency ledger. The mastermind behind the entire ₹240 crore racket has been identified as Prem Taneja, a notorious bookie previously involved in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing case, who is currently believed to be operating from Dubai and remains at large. This bust highlights the evolving sophistication of cyber fraud and the challenges faced by law enforcement in tracking down international kingpins.