Thane: Man cheated of Rs 3 lakh in foreign currency exchange fraud; 3 booked

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Police in Maharashtra's Thane has registered a case against three persons for allegedly cheating a man of Rs 3 lakh by offering him foreign currency in exchange at a cheap rate, police said on Sunday.

News agency PTI reported that the accused approached the 34-year-old victim, a resident of Dombivli town, and offered him Dirhams at a cheap exchange rate.

The victim then gave Rs 3 lakh to the accused on Friday. The accused subsequently gave 'Dirhams' in exchange, but the victim later found many blank paper pieces in the foreign currency note bundle, an official from Vishnu Nagar police station said.

The victim filed a complaint on Saturday based on which an FIR was registered against the three persons under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating) and 34 (common intention). A probe was on into the case, the police added.

Meanwhile, Police in Maharashtra's Thane district has arrested a shopkeeper for allegedly stocking banned gutka worth Rs 5.44 lakh in his outlet.

News agency PTI reported quoting an official from Narpoli police station that acting on a tip-off, a team of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raided the shop located at Purna village in Bhiwandi area on Saturday and seized the stock.

Also read: Maharashtra: Thane shopkeeper held for stocking banned gutka worth Rs 5.44 lakh

It's important to note that the sale and consumption of gutka, scented, and flavored tobacco have been prohibited in Maharashtra since 2012.

The 28-year-old shopkeeper was arrested and booked under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the FDA regulations, the official quoted in the PTI report said.

FDA food safety officer Rajendra Kardak, who led the raid, said the sale of gutka has been rampant at outlets in the district. "We have been instructed to unearth all such sources and take action against them," he added.

On October 22, Gutka and banned tobacco products worth Rs 9.96 lakh were smuggled in consignments marked as clothes in Thane.

The matter came to light when an alert godown owner in Bhiwandi received a suspicious consignment from a transporter and he alerted the local police, assistant police inspector Somnath Karnavar-Patil of the Narpoli police station said, reported PTI.

On inspection, the police recovered banned gutka and tobacco products worth Rs 9.96 lakh from boxes marked as clothes. The goods had arrived between October 29 and November 1, he said, reported PTI.

The alleged accused packed the banned goods in cartons marked as clothes and showed the consignment as clothing in the tax invoice as well, the official said, adding that the consignment arrived from Surat in neighbouring Gujarat, reported PTI.

An offence has been registered under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, Food Security and Standards Act, FDA regulations, Food Safety & Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations and Food Safety & Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations Act, he said, reported PTI. (With inputs from PTI)