NEW DELHI: Vigilant personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on Thursday (Sept 24) apprehended a suspected serial fraudster at Pune International Airport after he duped a passenger. It was later found that he had duped passengers in the past too by taking on multiple fake identities.
The incident happened around 5.45 am on September 24 when a passenger arriving from Hyderabad by an IndiGo flight (6E 351) was approached by a stranger when he exited the `Arrival’ gate.
“The suspect narrated a sympathetic story and requested financial assistance of Rs 20,000. Acting on humanitarian grounds, the passenger transferred Rs 11,000 to a Google Pay account provided by the individual,” an official release said.
Personnel deployed at the CISF Security Operations Control Centre and the Crime and Intelligence Wing observed the “suspicious interaction” and immediately intercepted the suspect for verification. This revealed the individual was a serial fraudster.
During questioning and verification of his documents by the CISF, glaring discrepancies were uncovered, the GPay account was registered in the name of Gujjaralapudi Bala Koteswara Rao. The suspect’s Aadhaar Card and Driving Licence bore the name M. V. Dinesh Kumar and specified he was a resident of Guntur in Andhra Pradesh. He had also had a Parul University faculty ID card in his possession which had the name, Alluru Shyam Prasad.
“Unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for the conflicting identities and the third-party financial transfer, the suspect was detained. On being apprised of the situation, the victim realised he had been deceived and expressed his willingness to file a formal complaint,” the release added.
The arrest was possible due to the proactive surveillance by the CISF Intelligence Wing, it said. Following a similar incident on September 1 when a departing passenger was cheated of Rs 18,600 using an identical modus operandi, the CISF had mounted special vigilance in the airport's City Side area.
By matching the apprehended suspect's activities with CCTV footage from the previous incident, investigators confirmed he was the same perpetrator. “During further questioning, the suspect admitted his involvement in the previous fraud, for which a cyber crime complaint had already been lodged,” the release said.
Following a formal complaint from the arriving passenger, the suspect was handed over to the Vimantal Police Station in Pune, for further legal action and detailed investigation.