(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, Nov 12 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested the Bank Manager of a Private Bank in Mumbai for his active role in facilitating the opening of mule accounts, the agency said on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Nitesh Rai, Bank Manager of Axis Bank, was arrested on November 11.

According to the investigation, it was revealed that the arrested bank official, in collusion with cybercriminals, accepted illegal gratification and“by abusing his official position processed the account opening forms and thereby created channels for the movement and layering of cybercrime proceeds.”

The CBI highlights that the investigation has also established that these accounts were actively used in multiple cybercrimes, including cases of Digital Arrest fraud.

“A case for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act and BNS was registered against him. The accused was produced before the competent court in Mumbai and remanded to CBI's custody for further interrogation,” the CBI said in a press note.

Two cybercriminals who paid the illegal gratification to the bank manager have also been named in the FIR as accused for committing offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act relating to the giving of bribes to a public servant.

Both individuals had already been arrested by the CBI in connection with the investigations in an ongoing Digital Arrest Cybercrime case.

“Material collected during the investigation indicates a wider pattern of organised cybercrime networks exploiting the banking systems by opening mule accounts to layer the proceeds of Cyber Fraud amounts stolen from innocent citizens,” the agency said.

It is pertinent to note that any active or passive role of a Banker, including those of private and cooperative banks,“in facilitating cybercrime would render them liable for action under PC Act as well as BNS, and CBI is committed to taking action against such bankers.”

The CBI reiterates its commitment to identifying and dismantling the cybercrime infrastructure that is exploiting and luring gullible citizens and defrauding them.

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