Ahmedabad cyber sleuths bust Nigerian-led online fraud network, 6 held from Mumbai, Bengaluru

In a breakthrough against transnational cyber fraud networks, the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch has arrested six individuals, including a Nigerian national from Mumbai and Bengaluru, for allegedly operating a complex online scam that duped an Ahmedabad resident of over ₹32 lakh under the guise of a homoeopathic medicine trade.

The arrested accused have been identified as Nigerian national Madufor Steve Uzochi, along with Krishnamati Chaudhary, Mahesh Chaudhary, Salim Shaikh, Trijugilal Kurmi, and Rajeshkumar Saroj — all residents of Mumbai and neighbouring areas.

The police said that the complainant, Nihar Verma, a resident of Maninagar, Ahmedabad, was contacted online by individuals posing as representatives of an African pharmaceutical company. They claimed to be looking for an Indian supplier of Eupatorium Mercola Liquid, a homoeopathic medicine reportedly used in the treatment of malaria and dengue in Africa.

The accused lured Verma by offering him a lucrative business proposal to purchase the medicine from an Indian vendor, Sharma Enterprises Manufacturing, at $6,500 per litre and resell it to the 'African buyer' at $11,000 per litre.

Initially, Verma was made to believe the deal was genuine after he received a one-litre parcel of the liquid from a person named Jaydev, who introduced himself as a sales representative of Sharma Enterprises. He even met a supposed African lab scientist in Delhi who 'approved' the sample.

Convinced, Verma placed a larger order and transferred ₹27 lakh as an advance payment to the account shared by the accused. When he visited Bhilwara, Rajasthan, to collect the consignment, he discovered that the purported company did not exist. Realising he had been duped, Verma complained to the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch.

The modus operandi

Investigations revealed that the scam was orchestrated by a Nigerian-led cybercrime syndicate that used social media and online communication to contact victims with false offers of international trade. Once the victims agreed, they were tricked into transferring money to multiple Indian bank accounts created under fake enterprise names.

The Nigerian national Madufor Steve Uzochi allegedly coordinated the financial transfers through associates Salim Shaikh, Trijugilal Kurmi, and Rajesh Saroj, who recruited people across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Nepal to open fake bank accounts under names such as Shree Ram Enterprises, Star Enterprises, Laxmi Enterprises, and M G Enterprises.

The police said that Krishnamati and Mahesh Chaudhary, a Nepali couple based in Navi Mumbai, played a key role by operating multiple bank accounts and transferring the fraudulently obtained funds to other gang members in exchange for a commission.

The accused allegedly opened 12 to 15 accounts per firm and used them for fraudulent transfers. They would relocate to another city whenever a complaint was raised against their accounts.

Investigators further revealed that Salim Shaikh, the Mumbai-based mastermind, had earlier worked with another handler who provided Indian bank accounts to Nigerian nationals for financial fraud. After his death, Shaikh began running the racket independently. He is suspected of having provided bank accounts not only to cyber fraudsters but also to operators of illegal betting and gaming apps in Dubai.

Seizure and further investigation

During the operation, the police seized 14 mobile phones, seven SIM cards, 33 debit cards, and multiple diaries used for maintaining financial records. The seized debit cards were linked to accounts in Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Yes Bank, Central Bank of India, Indian Bank, Saraswat Bank, and several cooperative banks.

Police said that over 112 complaints have been traced to bank accounts used by this network across Karnataka, Punjab, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. Further investigation is underway to identify the remaining Nigerian members and Indian collaborators involved in the syndicate.