Source: Three Zimbabwean Nationals Arrested For Cyber Crimes In India After Multi-State Chase ⋆ Pindula News
Three Zimbabwean nationals have been arrested in India after allegedly orchestrating a sophisticated cyber fraud that defrauded a senior pharmaceutical executive of over ₹1.1 crore (approximately US$127,000).
Indian authorities apprehended the suspects, Tinashe Gadzikwa Praise (22), Malvern Matumgamire (25), and Nyamhunga Lenon Kudakwashe (23), in a dramatic early morning swoop in Kharar, a township in Mohali, Punjab.
The arrests followed a swift cross-country pursuit led by Kolkata Police’s cyber crime cell, with support from local Punjab Police units.
According to The Times of India, the trio stands accused of executing an elaborate scam by impersonating representatives of a reputed UK pharmaceutical company and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Their alleged modus operandi involved fabricating official-looking email communications and documents to ensnare their victim, 53-year-old Sandip Guha, a senior executive based in New Town, Kolkata.
The fraud hinged on the kola nut, a tropical fruit used in pharmaceuticals to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
The suspects purportedly enticed Guha into a fake international trading scheme, promising lucrative returns from importing kola nuts from India.
The con, investigators say, was layered with credibility: the scammers used WhatsApp to communicate, employing a host of international numbers, mainly from the UK, and even arranged for small kola nut consignments to be “delivered” to Guha to build trust.
The net finally closed in on the accused when Guha filed a complaint in May, triggering a rapid investigation by the Kolkata cyber police.
Tracking the digital footprints, authorities traced the suspects to their hideouts in Mohali, culminating in Saturday’s arrests.
Indian police say further investigations are underway, with a focus on uncovering any wider international network linked to the scam. Said an officer:
Convinced by these initial transactions and the professional appearance of the operation, Guha transferred a total of Rs 1,10,41,250 through multiple RTGS transactions to various Indian bank accounts.
Guha alleged that the fraudsters orchestrated a two-week-long scheme using forged documents. Joint CP (crime & traffic) Rupesh Kumar said:
The accused rented a flat in the Golf Link area in Mohali. A total of six mobile phones, one laptop, some bank documents and other documents were seized.
The arrested individuals will be produced before the jurisdictional court concerned for transit remand.
The arrests are significant as it exposes an international cyber fraud ring operating from Indian soil.
We are investigating possible links to other similar cases across the country.
An investigating officer confirmed that the accused will be brought to Kolkata for further questioning as the probe deepens, with additional arrests likely in the coming days.
The case has been registered under applicable provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sections pertaining to fraud, impersonation, and cybercrime.
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