Mangaluru:  All passengers aboard a flight were asked to disembark from the aircraft when smoke started to billow out of the aircraft's engine, just before takeoff, at the Mangaluru international airport on Wednesday morning.

The SpiceJet flight with 31 passengers was about to fly to Hyderabad from Mangaluru International Airport.  A major technical snag was detected in the aircraft's engine while the Airbus was moving towards the runway. Fire tenders and emergency staff of the airport rushed and succeeded in disembarking all the passengers safely.

The flight, which could accommodate over 70 passengers, had only 31 passengers. However, all the passengers were later sent to Hyderabad on another plane.

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Bengaluru: Cybercriminals used more than 65,000 mule bank accounts from Karnataka in 2024 to funnel illicit funds, according to data from the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), an agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The data, which was cited by Deccan Herald on Monday, indicates that these accounts form only the first layer of fraudster accounts, and the actual numbers may be far higher. The first layer refers to the initial accounts that victims are tricked into transferring their money to, at the behest of cyber fraudsters.

Mule accounts play a crucial role in the operation of cybercrimes by acting as intermediaries between the victim’s bank account and the scammer’s account. These accounts are often created, rented, or purchased by cybercrooks.

Karnataka ranked fifth among Indian states for the number of first-layer mule accounts. It trailed behind Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, the report added.

Investigators have pointed to negligence by banks as one of the primary reasons behind the proliferation of mule accounts. Despite technological advancements, many banks lack robust monitoring systems to track suspicious accounts and transactions effectively.

"Banks have the responsibility of monitoring suspicious accounts and transactions, but they are often compromised. There is no proper existing system for monitoring such things in many banks, despite technological advancements," DH quoted an Assistant Commissioner of Police-rank investigator as saying.

Furthermore, there are growing concerns about the potential leakage of customer data by bank employees. The officer added the bank representatives not only give out contact information of people but also give details of gullible individuals holding bank accounts with no activity.

These accounts become prime targets for fraudsters, who approach the account holders to buy or rent them for use in scams.