16 March,2024 12:49 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah Khan
Accused Manoj Kanojia with the bike
Malwani Police on Thursday arrested a man for defrauding a 38-year-old man of Rs 4.74 lakhs by posing as a courier agent and promising to transport his Royal Enfield bike to Chhattisgarh. The accused, Mohit Kanojia, committed the crime on February 12, said Malwani police official. A video recorded by the complainant assisted the police in tracing and arresting the accused.
Wasim Baba Shaikh, a resident of Malwani in Malad, sought to sell his bike and posted an advertisement on the OLX website. A buyer from Chhattisgarh was interested in buying and had made an advance payment of Rs 90,000 too. He had told Shaikh he would make the pending payment after receiving an invoice from the courier company for bike transportation.
Shaikh, who was looking for a courier service, found a DTDC agent in Sakinaka through the internet. The agent collected the bike and gave Shaikh an invoice and the buyer sent additional Rs 4 lakhs. However, two days later, claiming non-receipt, the buyer demanded a refund which perplexed Shaikh.
Upon probe, Shaikh discovered that the courier office was non-existent. Realising he was deceived, Shaikh approached Malwani police and filed a complaint against an unidentified person.
Under the guidance of DCP Anand Bhoite of Zone 11 and senior inspector Chimaji Adhav, PSI Kurkute, Shinde, and API Amol Yanare conducted an investigation. They located and apprehended the accused in the Kamothe area of New Mumbai the previous night.
"Shaikh's foresight in recording a video of the accused signing the invoice when the bike was collected for delivery proved instrumental," stated a police officer from the Malwani police station. Acting on information from informers, the police arrested Kanojia in Navi Mumbai's Kamothe following a tip-off.
During the interrogation, it was revealed that Kanojia was part of a racket and they duped people posing to be courier agents, stole bikes and other valuables and sold them in other states.
"We have arrested Kanojia from Kamothe he was produced before the court on Friday. Presently, we are trying to locate the bike and ascertain the extent of his fraudulent activities, including any potential accomplices involved in setting up the fake courier website," declared the officer.
