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German national gets back ₹9.7 lakh lost to crooks
Soeren Habermann, 24, has been touring South Asia for nine months and had entered India from Nepal in July. When the tourist was in Jaipur last month, he met three persons who proposed a joint venture where the German national could sell the jewellery provided by the trio in his country and share the profits, a police officer said, adding, “They even gave him a few pieces of jewellery, saying they were worth ₹15 lakh”
Mumbai: A German national, touring South Asia, was taken for a ride in India and was about to lose ₹9.7 lakh to three conmen, but the Santacruz police promptly sprung to action to get back the entire amount which was handed over to him on Saturday.
Of the three accused, Zakir Hussain, 45, was arrested and sent to judicial custody on Friday.
Soeren Habermann, 24, has been touring South Asia for nine months and had entered India from Nepal in July. When the tourist was in Jaipur last month, he met three persons who proposed a joint venture where the German national could sell the jewellery provided by the trio in his country and share the profits, a police officer said, adding, “They even gave him a few pieces of jewellery, saying they were worth ₹15 lakh.”
“As Habermann’s India tour was not yet complete, the trio couriered the jewellery to his hometown before he left Jaipur. The accused travelled with him to New Delhi first and then to Mumbai,” the officer added.
They reached Mumbai on August 19, the officer said, adding, “During the next five days, not only Habermann sponsored the hotel stay and other expenses of the group, he also withdrew ₹3.75 lakh cash to hand over to the three accused. On their insistence, he also bought them gold biscuits worth ₹6.2 lakh, which they said would be used for making other jewelleries.”
On August 24, right after buying the gold biscuits from a prominent jewellery brand, Habermann walked into Santacruz police station. “He could only say something was happening with him but was not sure whether it was good or bad. He explained to us the episode, and we told him that he was being taken for a ride,” the officer said.
He was told that such scams are common in tourist havens wherein a huge consignment of expensive stuff is sent to the home country of the victim under some pretext. The conmen then insist on being paid in cash or kind before the person realises that they have been given worthless and cheap imitation items, the officer said.
The police immediately went to the hotel where Habermann was staying with the trio. They arrested Hussain from their room and are still looking for his two accomplices. The police also ensured that the court proceedings were done as quickly as possible so that Habermann could get his money back before his visa was over. He will be back on his way home on Monday.
