Nigerian couple, aide cheat 57-year-old of Rs 74 lakh in Mumbai, arrested

According to the complainant, the accused befriended her on social media in December 2017. The accused allegedly asked her for money under several pretexts. She transferred a total of Rs 74.20 lakh till June 2018.

The Mumbai cyber police on Saturday arrested three people – a Nigerian couple and an auto rickshaw driver from Navi Mumbai – for cheating a 57-year-old Mahim resident of Rs 74 lakh.

The Mumbai cyber police on Saturday arrested three people – a Nigerian couple and an auto rickshaw driver from Navi Mumbai – for cheating a 57-year-old Mahim resident of Rs 74 lakh. (Representative Image) (HT File)

According to the complainant, the accused befriended her on social media in December 2017. The accused allegedly asked her for money under several pretexts. She transferred a total of Rs 74.20 lakh till June 2018.

Investigation has revealed that the driver, Ashok Borade, 40, had allowed the couple to use his bank account, in exchange for a hefty commission. The couple has been identified as Amra Obesoque, 32 and his wife Khristabel Libeh, 30.

In December 2017, the woman received a friend request from one of the accused, claiming he was a marine engineer named Donald Tod, based in the US. Over the next few months, she transferred money to him for various reasons.

“On one such occasion, the accused told the woman that he had sent jewellery and cash to India, but it had been intercepted by custom officials. He asked her to send him money to pay the officials,” said Vishal Thakur deputy commissioner of police (cyber).

Thakur added that the accused promised to pay the woman back in double and also that he would send her £20,000 (Rs18 lakh) so she could fly to America.

After the accused started avoiding her, she approached the police station on June 23, 2018.

During investigations, police found 30 bank accounts registered in the names of individuals based in Mizoram, Delhi and Hyderabad. Police learnt that these accounts had been created by forging documents.

The police also learnt that there was a group of auto rickshaw and taxi drivers in Navi Mumbai, who volunteered to let the accused use their bank accounts for the fraudulent transactions.

After tracking down Borade, the police raided the couple’s residence in Ulve, Navi Mumbai, and recovered 13 mobile phones, a modem, a router and a laptop. They are now trying to trace the other accused.