The Palluruthy police have busted a Mumbai-based racket that cheated people by offering jobs online in a Singapore-based shipping company.
Officials said the accused, identified as Shijusheelan, Jayasheelan, Krishna Kumar, Jithu and Haneefa, had duped several persons across the State of Rs.50 lakh. All the accused except Jayasheelan were recently arrested from an apartment in Vasi, Navi Mumbai, in Maharashtra.
While Jithu is a native of Eramallur in Alappuzha, the other accused hail from different parts of Thiruvananthapuram.
The arrest followed a complaint lodged by Bibin, 25, of Kumbalangi, with the Kochi City Police Commissioner last week
“The racket used placed advertisements on ad portals, seeking qualified candidates to various posts at a shipping firm in Singapore. Upon receiving applications, they would contact each of the applicants over phone and inform them that they had been selected for the job,” said Aneesh K.G, Circle Inspector, Palluruthy.
Later, they would also send a copy of the bogus visa and flight tickets issued in the name of the particular candidate and ask them to transfer amounts ranging from Rs.2.5 to Rs.5 lakh to a State Bank of India account to complete the formalities. Soon, they would change the SIM card and remain untraceable.
By verifying call details of the accused, the police traced their location and eventually zeroed in on them after camping in Mumbai for about four days. During investigation, the police confirmed that the SIM cards used by the accused were procured using fake identity cards. “Even the bank account to which the money had been transferred was taken using a fake ID card in the name of one Nithya Anya Poojara,” the official said. The police have been approached by at least 10 persons from Mumbai, who have reported to have lost around Rs.35 lakh after being cheated by the racket.
