BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Crime Branch arrested two West African nationals from New Delhi for cheating a woman of Bhubaneswar on social media. The woman had lodged a complaint with Cyber Crime police station in this regard in February.
Inspector Anila Anand of the Cyber Crime police station was handed over the case and an investigation of the fraud launched. The accused duo created a fake profile on a matrimonial site in the name of Dr Bhupinder Singh, a US-based doctor. “The two persons started chatting with the woman and took around `10 lakh from her on the pretext of sending her gifts and money from the US,” Crime Branch ADG Santosh Upadhyay told The Express. The woman reportedly deposited the money in various bank accounts.
Acting on a tip-off, Anand and assistant sub-inspector NT Dora visited New Delhi where they nabbed the West African nationals for their alleged involvement in conning the woman. The two persons were produced in a court there and brought to Odisha on transit remand.
The accused were identified as 34-year-old Zouzou Alex of Ivory Coast and 46-year-old Erikume alias Sunny of Nigeria. “The laptop, mobile phone and SIM cards used for committing the crime were seized from them,” Crime Branch IG Arun Bothra said.
The miscreants were staying on rent in a house at Tilak Nagar in New Delhi and were involved in similar offences in other parts of the country also. A case was registered against the duo by Nagpada Police in Mumbai in 2018 under Section 420 of IPC. The police officers informed that modus operandi of the crime committed in Odisha and Mumbai was same. Similarly, a case was registered against Erikume by Kirti Nagar Police in New Delhi in 2012 under Sections 147, 148, 149, 323, 120-B and 34 of IPC.
Zouzou and Alex were having e-tourist and business visas. The duo was unemployed and used to con people on social media site, including matrimonial sites.