MUMBAI: A smart citizen got two African nationals arrested near the domestic airport after pretending to fall for their con . The complainant was told to pay US$3,000 to the accused-duo, Steve Adebo, 38, and Akeem Ayodji, 52. In exchange, their accomplice, a woman who is at large, promised to transfer her property worth US $12,000 million to the complainant.

“The woman first contacted the complainant through email. She told him that her daughter wished to come to India for higher studies and she was worried about her safety. She asked the complainant to look after her and promised to transfer her entire property to the complainant. The only glitch was that the clearing agent at the airport would have to be paid off $3,000 so that he did not sound off an alarm about the $12,000 million that was making its way into the city,” said a police official.

The complainant immediately realized that he was being conned. He decided to play along so that he could get the accused arrested. Replying to the email, the complainant said that he was willing to pay up $3000. But he added that he would not make a bank transfer. He said he would pay the money in person.

On August 21, Adebo and Ayodji fixed up a meeting with the complainant near the domestic airport. They waited outside a five-star hotel in the vicinity of the airport. Police teams were already waiting in plainclothes. As soon as the complainant gestured, police teams swooped down on Adebo and Ayodji.

“The two are not co-operating in the probe We have written to their embassy,” the official said. A magistrate court has remanded the duo to police custody till August 25.

