Nigerian national arrested for cheating people on pretext of supplying Remdesivir in Delhi

PTI, May 21, 2021, 4:20 PM IST

A 41-year-old Nigerian national was arrested from south Delhi’s Khanpur area for allegedly cheating people on the pretext of supplying them Remdesivir injections meant for the treatment of COVID-19 patients at a higher rate, police said on Friday.

Accused Chieuikem Daniel P.E was arrested from his rented house on the complaint of a victim who alleged that he did not deliver the ordered injections despite making an advance payment, they said. According to the complainant, he was in urgent need of three Remdesivir injections as his acquaintance was suffering from COVD-19 and the doctor had advised him to arrange the injections. After he failed to get it, he contacted a number received through social media. The accused agreed to provide the injection for Rs 25,000 each and also asked for Rs 10,000 in advance, which he paid but did not receive the delivery.

A case was registered under section 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code at Mohan Garden police station on Wednesday, police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Santosh Kumar Meena said call detail records of the accused was analyzed and based on secret information received, the accused was arrested on Wednesday from south Delhi. ”During interrogation, the accused disclosed that he is from Nigeria, and came to India three-four years ago on a medical visa. His visa has expired but he along with his other associates indulged in cheating people on the pretext of custom clearance. They made friends on Facebook and offered them costly gifts. After that, they requested them to deposit money in their account number in the name of customs clearance of those gifts,” he said.

They used many mobile phones, forged SIM cards and bank accounts for this purpose. During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they also started allegedly cheating people on the pretext of providing medicines and injections required for treatment of COVID-19 patients, the DCP said.

The police have recovered two laptops, eight android phones, 25 keypad mobile phones, 18 mobile SIM cards, seven ATM cards, two pen drives and Rs 50,500 cash from his possession.

Efforts are being made to arrest the co-accused, police said, adding that many other victims across India have been contacted to register complaints in this regard for further probe.