Fraud poses as customs official, cheats at least 11 of ₹48 lakh

The accused has offences registered against him in three more police stations in Maharashtra, and the number of his victims is expected to rise as the investigation proceeds

Mumbai A Bhandup resident has been arrested for allegedly cheating at least 11 people to the tune of ₹48 lakh by posing as a customs officer and promising to get them vehicles seized by the department at throwaway prices.

A Bhandup resident has been arrested for allegedly cheating at least 11 people to the tune of ₹48 lakh by posing as a customs officer and promising to get them vehicles seized by the department at throwaway prices (HT File)

The accused has offences registered against him in three more police stations in Maharashtra, and the number of his victims is expected to rise as the investigation proceeds.

According to crime branch officers, investigation was initiated into the matter after Amol Chavan, a police constable with the Kurla police station, lodged a complaint. At the time, Chavan was posted with the Protection and Security Branch at Matoshree in 2020. His colleague Ganesh Saravade had introduced him to the accused Yogesh Ahire.

“Saravade told Chavan that Ahire was a customs officer and could get him two-wheelers and four-wheelers at cheaper price, as he could facilitate the sale of vehicles seized by the department. Accordingly, Chavan met Ahire at a hotel in Ghatkopar and placed an order for a KIA Seltos. The price was finalised at ₹15 lakh and Chavan paid him ₹2 lakh as advance,” a crime branch officer said.

At Ahire’s behest, Chavan also started telling his friends and relatives about him and over the next one year, as many as 10 people from Chavan’s circle contacted the fake customs officer through Chavan

“After we initiated investigation, we found that Ahire would arrange two-wheelers for his customers but had no wherewithal to get four-wheelers. Instead, whenever a customer got too troublesome, he would simply take money from a new customer and repay the previous one, effectively running a Ponzi scheme,” the officer said.

In late 2021, even as Chavan was continuously following up with Ahire about his car, Ahire allegedly told Chavan that he had recently come into possession of iron bars and crane spare parts worth ₹2 crore, which he wanted to procure and sell for a profit. For this purpose, he told Chavan that he needed someone to pool in money.

Chavan took institutional loans and sold some of his wife’s gold jewellery, and arranged for ₹30 lakh which he handed over to Ahire. Ahire later gave Chavan two cheques to repay him, but both came to be dishonoured. Finally, Chavan approached the Kherwadi police station and lodged a complaint against Ahire. The matter was handed over to the Crime Branch Unit II, and an FIR was registered after preliminary inquiries.

“Even as our investigation was underway, Ahire was arrested by the Kopri police station in Thane for a similar offence. We were in touch with them and as soon as he was remanded in judicial custody, we sought his custody from the Thane court. It was granted to us and we took him into our custody on Tuesday evening. We have also found that he has similar cases registered against him with the Chitalsar police station in Thane and the Kashimira police station in Mira Bhayander Vasai Virar police commissionerate. In our case alone, he has swindled the victims to the tune of ₹48 lakh,” a Unit II officer said.

Ahire was produced in the Esplanade court on Wednesday and remanded to police custody till August 30.