Four persons arrested for allegedly duping a person of ₹87 lakh

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad cybercrime police arrested four persons from Mumbai including a Nigerian national, Vincent Ibhaduwede, for allegedly duping a person of ₹87 lakh after making a business offer. The other accused were identified as Shakil, Arvind Mishra and Saifullah Khan. The main accused, Christopher, also a Nigerian national, is absconding, according to DCP, cybercrimes, Sneha Mehra.

Police said the victim, a pharma researcher, received a mail in February 2023, from a person identifying himself as ‘Dr Arthur Williams from Lexo Pharma’ for the supply of 2,000 packets of ‘Cissus populnea’ stems, used to cure stomach and skin infections, venereal conditions and constipation.

He was directed to a purported trader of Cissus stems, and he paid ₹1.44 lakh for some samples. Little by little, he paid a total of ₹87.45 lakh for 200 packets of the raw material. Police said Christopher had sent the fake email as Arthur Williams, and Ibhaduwede collects the money.

Saifullah Khan supplied bank accounts to the accused for receiving money, Shakil and Aravind withdrew the money from the accounts and handed it over to the Nigerian.