(From L-R) Hugo Fransico, 40, and Duru Clinton, 27, of Nigeria and Tabitha Anal, 32, from Manipur.
2 Nigerians, Manipur woman arrested for swindling Chennai resident of Rs 1.2 lakh
The Chennai police said that during the investigation it came to light that the accused were operating from Faridabad in Haryana.
Chennai cyber crime police have arrested two Nigerians and a woman from Manipur for allegedly swindling Rs 1.2 lakh from a resident of Ayanavaram in the city.
The accused have been identified as Hugo Fransico, 40, and Duru Clinton, 27, of Nigeria and Tabitha Anal, 32, from Manipur.
According to the police, the East Zone Cyber Crime police station received a complaint on May 5 in which a man claimed that he was approached by a woman on Facebook who said she is from London and sought his help saying she is likely to visit India. The woman then told the complainant that she was sending him a gift as a token of friendship. The man was subsequently told to pay Rs 1.22 lakh as customs and processing fee for receiving the gift article.
After paying the amount and receiving no response from the woman, the man realised that he was conned and approached the police. The East Zone cyber crime wing registered a case on June 25 and began an inquiry.
The police said that during the investigation it came to light that the accused were operating from Faridabad in Haryana. Based on the directions of City Police Commissioner Sandeep Rai Rathore, a special team was formed and sent to Haryana.
The fraudsters were then arrested with the help of the local police. The police also seized cell phones, laptops, pen drives and other documents from them. The accused were produced before a court in Faridabad, a transit warrant was obtained and they were brought to Chennai on Sunday where they were remanded in judicial custody.
In a message, the commissioner urged the public to be alert while using social media and avoid interacting with strangers who pretend to offer gifts. In case anyone comes across such a message, the police must be alerted on the 1930 helpline or a complaint registered at the nearest cyber crime police station.