Transnational cheating syndicate busted, 6 held

A transnational cheating syndicate operating in Delhi-NCR was busted with the arrest of six persons, including two Nigerian nationals, the police said on Sunday.

The police said the fraudsters were duping gullible people through fake lotteries, gifts and prize schemes and were active for several years. They lured the victims into transferring large sums of money to fraudulently created bank accounts in exchange for non-existent rewards.

The accused have been identified as Shahid Raza (45), Shahrukh Khan (23), Vikas (25) and Rakesh, alias Lalu (22). They worked with two Nigerians Shedrack Onainor (29) and Sunday John, alias Liberty (40).

The incident came to light after specific inputs were received on July 7 regarding a group of fraudsters operating out of Delhi, cheating people through fraudulent online lottery and gift schemes, said Vikram Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch).

“Acting on the input, a team launched a surveillance operation. During the operation, Shahid Raza was apprehended from Punjabi Bagh in Delhi, while in possession of Rs 3.63 lakh in cash, nine ATM cards and a mobile phone containing incriminating data. His interrogation revealed a deep-rooted network involving both Indian and foreign nationals of Nigerian origin,” the DCP added.

Subsequent raids led to the arrest of Shedrack Onainor from Khanpur in Delhi while he was allegedly collecting the cheated money. Onainor was found to have been illegally residing in India since 2018. He overstayed his medical visa. Incriminating digital evidence was also recovered from his possession.

Stating on the modus operandi, the cop said they had adopted a well-coordinated system wherein Onainor and Sunday acted as masterminds, luring victims through fake online lottery and prize announcements. Once a victim transferred money into designated accounts, the Indian accomplices managed its withdrawal and delivery.

Shahid Raza and Shahrukh Khan handled cash operations. Raza withdrew funds using ATM cards and delivered cash to the Nigerian accused after retaining a 15 per cent commission. Shahrukh, meanwhile, managed UPI-based transfers using online applications and oversaw the activation and operation of fake accounts.