No fewer than seven Nigerian and Ghanaian nationals are set to face trial in India after allegedly defrauding over 350 victims of more than $94,000 (in dollar terms), the Punjab State police authority was reported to have revealed.
The suspects, all male and aged between 25 and 35, were arrested by the Mohali Cyber Crime Cell of the Punjab Police during a sting operation that dismantled what officials described as an international fraud syndicate.
According to The Indian Express, the accused had been operating from a rented apartment in Noida, where they allegedly set up a fake call centre to run their fraudulent activities.
During the raid, the police recovered a substantial haul, including 79 smartphones, four laptops (two of which were Apple MacBooks), 99 SIM cards (both Indian and foreign), and documents linked to 31 fake bank accounts.
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The total value of the seized items was estimated at around 30 lakh Rupee, while bank transactions linked to the gang amounted to approximately 15 crore, equivalent to over $94,000.
Confirming the arrests, Senior Superintendent of Police, Harmandeep Singh Hans, said, “The accused allegedly used fake social media profiles to befriend Indian and foreign nationals.
“They would promise expensive gifts from abroad and later claim that customs had held the parcel, demanding money under the guise of clearance fees or taxes.
“Using advanced cyber tools and covert strategies, our team managed to apprehend the culprits.”
DSP Rupinderdeep Kaur Sohi, who led the operation, said, “The house from which they operated was rented by a Nigerian woman, whose whereabouts are currently unknown.
“The suspects also opened bank accounts in private banks, and we are investigating the names on the accounts and how they procured the SIM cards.”
She further disclosed that the syndicate did not limit its fraud to Indian nationals alone. “The scammers also targeted fellow Nigerian citizens, deceiving them with fake job offers in India,” Sohi said.
(Punch)
