Bhubaneswar: Crime Branch sleuths of Odisha Police have arrested a Nigerian national from New Delhi for allegedly duping a woman from Cuttack of over Rs 28.67 lakh through cyber fraud.
The accused, identified as Patrick Chizorom Orajaka (35), who has been committing cyber frauds, was arrested by a team of CID CB from Dwarka area of New Delhi and brought on transit remand to Odisha.
The crime branch had registered a case following a complaint by a woman from Cuttack, a crime branch release said.
The case relates to cheating to the tune of Rs.28.67 lakh by an Instagram user, who had contacted the victim on the social media platform, pretending to be a gynecologist from Netherlands. The victim woman followed him back in Instagram and chatted.
Subsequently, she shared her WhatsApp number with him and continued chatting. A friendship developed between both and after 5 days the accused intimated her that he was visiting India to meet her.
On the very next day, the complainant received a call and the caller introduced herself to be a Customs Officer from New Delhi Airport and informed that one relative who came to India to meet her was carrying 90,000 EURO with him, which was against the rule and he has been detained.
In order to get her friend freed, the victim deposited money in phases in different accounts. When their demand increased day by day, the victim realised that she had been cheated by the fraudster and reported the matter to the CID CB Cyber Crime Police Station, where a FIR was lodged on November 16.
The CID CB launched an investigation and it came to light that most of the accounts belonged to persons from north east India and were being operated from different places in New Delhi.
Basing on this information, a team of CID CB led by Inspector Anila Anand proceeded to Delhi and arrested the accused person from Dwarka area.
The accused has been using bank accounts of many people after alluring them with promise of cash. Several incriminating articles were seized from him. These include 16 debit cards, 12 mobile phones, 22 bank passbooks, 10 bank cheque books, 20 SIM cards, a laptop, a passport, Aadhar card and PAN card issued in his name, the release said.
Investigation is continuing to ascertain the others involved in the crime and also about other similar cyber frauds committed by the arrested accused and his accomplices, it added.