Mumbai: Fake customs official swindles bizman of Rs 26 lakh

Accused woman

The Sahar police have arrested a woman who, along with her two accomplices, impersonated a customs officer and defrauded a 33-year-old businessman dealing in natural precious stones at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. The trio swindled foreign currencies amounting to Rs 26 lakh.

According to police sources, the complainant, identified as Saurabh Sajjad Husain, a resident of Tamil Nadu had arrived in Mumbai on May 26 for a natural precious stones business transaction and was staying at a hotel in the Dongri area.

As per his statement given to the police, two of his female friends were traveling to Dubai, and he accompanied them to the airport to see them off. Husain had received a payment of 25,000 US dollars from a client residing in Jaipur, Rajasthan. He also had 25,000 UAE dirhams in his possession. His female friends requested 25,000 UAE dirhams for shopping. Due to concerns about the safety of the hotel, Husain carried the currencies with him to the airport.

Police stated that while he was waiting for his friends at around 10:30 pm, a woman and her two male associates, posing as customs officers, approached him. They took him aside and began searching his belongings. The impostors confiscated 25,000 UAE dirhams from his pocket. Subsequently, they took his handbag, which contained 25,000 US dollars, and left, claiming that they needed to verify the currency and that senior officers would follow up.

"The woman and her accomplice stayed with Hussain for a short while before making excuses and departing. When Hussain waited for an extended period without any sign of their return, he became suspicious and promptly rushed to the police station to register his complaint," said an officer from Sahar police station.

"We arrested the female suspect with the assistance of an airport security guard on the same day. She has been identified as Salma Banu, a resident of Bangalore, and works as a beautician. She has been produced before the court and is presently in police custody. We are conducting further investigations and actively searching for the other two suspects," added another officer from Sahar police station.