Nigerian among 2 held for cheating man on social network

KHANDESHWAR: Two people, including a Nigerian, were arrested by Khandeshwar police for allegedly cheating a Sangli resident of Rs1.6 lakh through a social networking website.

Catharen Doyal, the Nigerian, had befriended Sangli resident Amarshingh Suryavanshi five months ago on the website.

He told Suryavanshi he dealt in the purchase and sale of medicines for Mida Pharmaceutical, a UK-based company.

Doyal also told Suryavanshi that the company had huge demand for ayurvedic seeds and Suryavanshi would profit hugely if he could supply the seeds.

In November last year, Doyal messaged Suryavanshi to buy 250gm of the seeds worth Rs1.60 lakh from a supplier named Priyanka Jain and sell it to Mida Pharmaceutical.

On January 7, Jain called Suryavanshi and told him that one Khan would deliver the packet of seeds to him and that he should pay Khan. Later, she said one Ismitsingh Arora would meet him near Tunga Hotel in Vashi.

Suspecting foul play, Suryavanshi reported the matter to Khandeshwar police.

“We laid a trap and when Arora came to deliver the packet, he was nabbed,” said Amar Desai, senior inspector of Khandeshwar police station.

He said, “There was also a Nigerian national Simon Onke, who had accompanied him. He tried to flee but we managed to get him as well.”

Police said the investigations showed that the seeds had no value and that Suryavanshi was being cheated on the basis of a cooked-up story.