Malkajgiri (Telangana) [India], August 23 : A 42-year-old private employee from Bollaram became a victim of cyber fraud in the name of an old currency exchange.
According to police, the victim came across an advertisement on Instagram on July 26 offering exchange of old currency notes. He contacted the WhatsApp number provided in the advertisement, following which the fraudsters asked him to share photographs of the old currency.
The accused allegedly promised to pay Rs 99 lakh in exchange and sent fake documents, including PAN and Aadhaar copies, to gain his confidence. They initially asked him to pay Rs 550 towards registration charges.
Believing the offer, the victim transferred Rs 550 through PhonePe. Later, the fraudsters sent videos showing bundles of cash and a staged video claiming that police had stopped a person at an airport and demanded 1 per cent GST amounting to Rs 95,000.
Trusting the videos, the complainant transferred a total of Rs 95,000 through multiple transactions via PhonePe and Google Pay. After demanding more money, the victim realised that he had been cheated and approached the cybercrime helpline 1930.
A complaint was registered. Based on the complaint, Bollaram Police registered a case on August 21 at 6:30 pm under Sections 318(4), 336(3), 340(2) of BNS and Section 66(D) of the IT Act, 2008. The investigation is being conducted by Detective Inspector M Prabhakar.
In another separate case, Nagole Police seized 14.296 kg of hash oil worth crores and arrested two persons who were allegedly transporting the contraband from Odisha to Hyderabad.
According to police, Sub-Inspector V Ramesh of Nagole Police Station received information on August 20 that two persons would be transporting hash oil on a Yamaha motorcycle through ORR, Gowrelly, Nagole towards Dhulpet.
Acting on the information, police formed a team along with panch witnesses and the Clues Team and conducted vehicle checks at Gowrelly X Road near Bhavani Shankar Bar & Restaurant on August 21.
Around 2 pm, police intercepted the motorcycle. The accused allegedly tried to escape but were apprehended. During questioning, they confessed to carrying hash oil in their bags.
The accused were identified as Thalle Nagaraju (30) and Nagula Narayana (39).
During interrogation, the duo revealed that Tamara Gopal from Singavaram village in Malkangiri district, Odisha, had allegedly offered them Rs 1 lakh each to transport 14 kg of hash oil from the Odisha border to Hyderabad.
Police said the accused collected the contraband on August 19 and were travelling to Hyderabad via Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry and Suryapet.
Police seized seven packets containing 7.119 kg of hash oil from Nagaraju and seven packets containing 7.177 kg from Narayana, taking the total seizure to 14.296 kg.
The police also seized a Yamaha MT-15 motorcycle, two mobile phones, Rs 2,500 cash and two bags. The seized material was deposited in the Malkhana, while the two accused were taken into custody.
The alleged main supplier, Tamara Gopal, is absconding. A case was registered on August 21 by Inspector Md Maqbool Jani of Nagole Police Station.