Gurugram police arrests conmen who offered shop owner $36,600 for ₹5 lakh

The accused were caught red-handed with a cloth bag, which contained 12 bundles of soap bars, wrapped in a newspaper roll, which they were allegedly planning to pass off as American currency.

Police on Thursday arrested two persons for allegedly trying to dupe a medical shop owner on the pretext of providing him American dollars at a cheaper rate in exchange for Indian currency.

The duo allegedly struck a deal with the drug store owner for exchanging 1,834 bills, of $20 denomination, in return for ₹5 lakh. (Photo for representation)

The duo allegedly struck a deal with the shop owner for exchanging 1,834 bills of $20 denomination in return for ₹5 lakh from the victim, police said.

Suspecting fraud, Dinesh Kumar, owner of a medical shop in Baghpur, Jhajjar, alerted the police, who laid a trap.

The accused were caught red-handed from Sheetla colony on Thursday evening with a cloth bag, which contained 12 bundles of soap bars, wrapped in a newspaper roll, which they were allegedly planning to pass off as American currency.

Inspector Narender Kumar, station house officer (SHO), Sector 5 police station, said, “The accused had kept seven $20 currency notes on top of the package to give it an appearance of a bundle of cash. They told the victim that they had brought 1,200 notes and were expecting ₹2 lakh to be handed over as advance.”

The investigating officer, requesting anonymity, said that the duo purchased a medicine worth ₹70 from the victim’s medical store on Tuesday and gave a $20 note for the transaction.

“The conmen told the victim that their aunt works in an embassy and gets paid in US dollars. They told him that they had 1,834 notes of $20 denomination, worth ₹25 lakh, and wanted to dispose of them quickly as they were leaving for their village. They said the victim would have to pay only ₹5 lakh and make a huge profit,” the investigating officer said.

Police said that the accused, identified as Mohammad Mehbooj Sheikh and Mohammad Jahangir, are history-sheeters and have allegedly used the same tactic to dupe other persons.

“We suspect involvement of a gang of six persons. The main conspirator, named Palash, is at large and we hope to nab him soon,” the investigating officer said. A case has been registered under sections 420 (cheating), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment) of the Indian Penal Code. The case was filed at Sector 5 police station.

Jahangir was sent to judicial custody and Sheikh was sent to police remand, police said.