New Delhi, Feb. 16 -- The Enforcement Directorate has identified proceeds of crime worth Rs.34,855 crore generated by cybercriminals through activities including illegal online gambling, cryptocurrency scams, predatory instant loan apps, investment frauds, and impersonation scams, of which Rs.12,229 crore has been attached till date, an ED officer aware of details said. The agency has found that majority of the proceeds in its 234 cybercrime-related prevention of money laundering act (PMLA) cases is laundered through mule accounts, shell companies cryptocurrencies, and hawala operators, the officer said, requesting anonymity. ED shared the details during a presentation at the first national conference on 'Tackling cyber-enabled frauds and dismantling the ecosystem', organised by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) in Delhi last week. More than 500 investigators from across the country had taken part in the conference. "Out of a little over Rs.1.70 lakh crore proceeds of crime attached by us till date, Rs.34,855 crore is linked to 234 cybercrimes cases we have investigated under PMLA. We have already attached Rs.12,229 crore out of this amount but the scale of these crimes is very big," the ED officer said. "Organised groups or individuals generate proceeds of crime (PoC) through Ponzi schemes, bogus forex trading/stock trading applications, illegal betting, gambling, and gaming platform, etc. The scammers then incorporate hundreds of shell companies and the money is then collected in multiple mule accounts," the officer said. ED said that it has identified over 1,000 mule accounts used in cybercrimes. The agency has found that the masterminds operate their networks remotely and control the movement of proceeds of crime through mule accounts, cryptocurrencies, etc. Union home minister Amit Shah said at the conference on February 10 that timely prevention of cyberfraud requires collective awareness, coordination, and firm resolve from all stakeholders....