mumbai

Updated: Apr 02, 2018 00:06 IST

The MIDC police on Saturday arrested two Nigerians and their Indian aide, who they believe are part of a larger gang that dupes Indian businessmen by posing as representatives of a UK-based firm in need of herbal seeds.

The gang tricks businessmen into buying seeds, lying that they will get a hefty commission for it. The two Nigerian nationals arrested have been identified as Jhejhe Stephanie alias Izuwa, 45, and Prince Kane Ambute, 50 – both businessmen staying on rent on Mira Road. Their Indian aide, Nitin alias Rahudeep Danji Borichia, 35, is a resident of Vashigaon in Navi Mumbai and a native of Bhavnagar, Gujarat.

On March 21, cops arrested the first accused, Daniel Chukwuanu, 42, and based on his questioning, the rest of the accused were nabbed. Like Chukwuanu, the other two Nigerians have been in India for five to six years on a tourist visa. Police are now probing if this gang commits other frauds such as matrimonial fraud, Facebook fraud, etc. While checking their bank accounts, the police found transactions up to Rs1.5 crore over a period of six months. Police said they suspect this money to be ill-gotten.

According to the MIDC police, the gang had cheated Arjun Kasana, 22, a businessman from Delhi of Rs4.12 lakh after which an FIR was registered on March 9.

Around Rs1.90 lakh has been recovered from Chukwuanu. One of the gang members posed before Arjun as representatives of a UK-based firm in need of herbal seeds. He then told Arjun that such seeds are available with a vendor in India and if he could get those, he will be given a hefty commission by his firm.

Arjun was also provided a number by the Nigerian. Arjun called on the number and bought seeds worth Rs4.12 lakh from another gang member. However, after buying the seeds, the seller and the representative stopped contacting him. As he had seen neither of them, he realized he had been cheated