A young woman was cheated of nearly Rs 20 lakh after fraudsters lured her with the promise of marriage to a wealthy foreign-based groom. The gang claimed that the man had businesses in UK and wanted to return to India after marriage. Crime Branch Unit-3 and the Cyber Squad have detained seven members of the interstate gang. The accused are residents of Gujarat and operated from a rented bungalow in Wardhaman Nagar. Police suspect that the racket may have links with an international Hawala network operating through Dubai.

 

During the operation, police seized property worth Rs 18.45 lakh. The seizure includes a four-wheeler worth around Rs 15 lakh, two two-wheelers, eight mobile phones and Rs 15,000 in cash. The accused have been identified as Jayesh Amrutji Thakur (20), Yashpal Aamsing Chauhan (24), Kuldeepsing Vikramji Jadeja (26), Rajendrasingh Ranaji Vaghela (34), Narpat Babusingh (27), Upendra Nagjibhai Joshi (28) and Bhanusingh Jaswantsingh Vaghela (29). All are residents of different areas of Gujarat. According to police, the fraud began with a phone call to the woman from an unknown person.

 

The caller slowly gained her confidence and claimed to be a businessman based abroad. He told her that he runs a gold business and a clothing mall in the UK. He also said that he wanted to return to India, get married and settle here. After gaining her trust, the accused told the woman that he was bringing 70 tolas of gold and US $70,000 to India. He then created a situation to make her believe that he had actually travelled to India. The accused later told her that he had been detained by customs officials at the Delhi airport. He claimed that the gold and dollars had been seized and that he needed Rs 13.92 lakh to get them released. Believing the story, the woman transferred money to the accused. The fraudsters continued demanding money by giving different reasons. They assured her that the amount would be returned after the release of the gold and foreign currency. By the time she realised that she had been cheated, she had lost around Rs 20 lakh. A case has been registered at Ganeshpeth Police Station under Sections 318(4), 319(2), 204 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act. 

 

 

After receiving the complaint, DCP Detection Deepak Agrawal directed Crime Branch personnel and the Cyber Squad to trace the suspects. Police followed the money trail and laid a trap near a shop close to Haldirams. According to investigators, a Hawala transaction was arranged through a chit. One of the accused arrived at the spot to collect the money through the chit. The Crime Branch team arrested him during the operation. During questioning, he disclosed information about his associates. Police subsequently detained the other accused. The investigation has now widened to determine whether the gang was part of a larger interstate and international network. Police are also examining the suspected Dubai Hawala connection and flow of money in the case. All seven accused underwent medical examinations before being handed over to Ganeshpeth Police. Further investigation is underway.