Nigerians staying illegally here for years were nabbed at a coffee shop after an alert businessman informs police of possible scam
Nigerians staying illegally here for years were nabbed at a coffee shop after an alert businessman informs police of possible scam
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The Central Crime Branch (CCB) fraud and misappropriation wing continues its crackdown on illegal betting syndicates and cartels. In its latest breakthrough, the CCB busted an international online fraud racket yesterday and arrested two Nigerian racketeers who are luring people with the promise of assured commissions.
Net trap: The crooks sent an SMS to a city-based businessman offering
him Rs 1 crore for a proposed real estate venture. Representation pic
Charles Michael Dumberi and Oni Oluwabu Cola posing as representatives of a UK-based company, contacted Venkaterange Gowda a city-based businessman, from Nagarabhavi, via SMS offering him Rs 1 crore per year for a proposed real estate business venture. After a series of talks via telephone, Dumberi approached Gowda claiming to be a representative of Mark Devison, his boss in the UK, and handed over documents to make the deal official.
He then told Gowda that he would have to pay Rs 1 lakh as fees to the courier who was carrying the first installment of his commission. Later, he told Gowda that the consignment was delayed and to bring along Rs 1 lakh to a coffee shop in Leela palace. Gowda's suspicions were aroused when Dumberi called him again saying that the courier was held up at Mumbai yesterday because of the Tsunami in Japan, and would reach Bangalore sometime in the evening. Suspecting their intentions, Gowda approached police commissioner Shankar Bidari who asked CCB officials to investigate.
A team led by inspector K Nagraj took up position at the coffee shop in plain clothes and Gowda was sent in to conclude the deal. When Dumberi and Cola met Gowda, the CCB team surrounded the duo, following which the former tried to escape by crashing through a glass window of the hotel, injuring himself in the process.
However, the police overpowered the duo and took them in for questioning. A senior CCB official said that the duo had been staying in India for some time without valid documents. Upon questioning, they confessed that they are part of an international fraud racket involving associates from the UK and the US. They target gullible clients by luring them with cash prizes worth crores of rupees and extract money on the pretext of courier fees.
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