How Nigerian, five others defrauded citizen of N53m – Indian police | READ DETAILS
A Nigerian man, identified as Steve Uzochi, alongwith five others, has been arrested by the Indian Police Special Team on Cybercrime for allegedly defrauding a businessman of Rs 32.7 lakh (approximately N53m) through a fake pharmaceutical trade deal.
According to The India Times, which reported the incident on Wednesday, Uzochi acted as a crucial link in the operation by allegedly collecting funds from one Shaikh and other associates before transferring them to the main operators based in Nigeria.
The report stated that police investigations revealed that the suspect was “working closely with a wanted Indian accused named Akash Vasant Goni and was residing illegally in Mumbai using a fake visa.”
It added that the fraudulent activity spanned multiple states, with police arresting the suspects from Mumbai and Bengaluru on Tuesday after a complaint was recently filed.
Quoting the complainant, the report said, “He was lured into a seemingly legitimate business deal through an online contact claiming to represent an African pharmaceutical company.”
The businessman, the report revealed, explained that he was approached by individuals claiming to be sourcing Eupatorium Mercola liquid—a homoeopathic formulation purportedly used in Africa for malaria and dengue treatment—from an Indian firm called Sharma Enterprises.
The report added, “The alleged crooks told the businessman that the firm had been selling the liquid to them for $12,000 per litre.
“As part of the scam, they told the victim he could buy the formulation for $6,500 per litre and resell it for $11,000 per litre, promising massive profit margins.”
To gain the victim’s confidence, the report said the scammers allegedly sent a small sample through a ‘salesman’ identified as Jaydev and arranged a meeting in Delhi with an African man posing as a laboratory scientist named Moshin Mure, who “verified the product’s authenticity,” adding further legitimacy to the deal.
“Shortly after, the businessman received an email from the so-called African company, placing a large order for the same product,” the report continued.
Following instructions from Jaydev, the report added that the victim transferred Rs 27 lakh as an advance payment to a bank account supposedly belonging to Sharma Enterprises.
However, the report disclosed that when he later visited the firm’s alleged address in Bhilwara, Rajasthan, he discovered that no such company existed. Realising he had been defrauded, he subsequently filed a complaint with the cybercrime police.
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