Nigerian arrested for fraud

A Nigerian national was arrested from Delhi for allegedly cheating a city-based man of Rs 75 lakh for delivering solvents (chemicals) which was used for washing "black" US Dollar currency notes, Cyberabad Police said today. Cyber Crime Police of Cyberabad arrested Nigerian national David Fletcher from Delhi on October 13 and brought him to Hyderabad on transit warrant, they said. David, along with other accused, allegedly cheated the complainant to deposit money of around Rs 75 lakhs in various bank accounts for the sale of solvents used in cleaning defaced US currency notes, a release from Cyberabad Police said. The victim lodged a complaint with police recently stating that in November 2013 he got an email and later a phone call from Delhi that there was a consignment to be delivered to his address. "The victim immediately went to Delhi to obtain the delivery of the consignment, a metal container, wherein it was stated that it contained USD 1 lakh and the victim paid Rs 1 lakh and brought the same to his home," police said. "He (victim) met one Mark in Delhi, who later met him in Hyderabad, and opened the container but found black bundles of papers. Mark informed him that they were not papers but USD currency notes," police said. "Mark later washed three notes with some solution and they appeared to be genuine US Dollar notes. He further promised the victim that he will send cleaning solution for 'De-blackening' of all the notes," police said. Later on the pretext of cleaning the defaced currency notes and several other reasons, including claiming to be FBI and police officers, the accused made the victim come to Delhi, Mumbai and Nagpur, and also made him deposit a sum of Rs 75 lakh in various bank accounts over the past few years, police said. After this, the victim's family members burnt all the black papers/defaced USD notes and boycotted him from his family. Later he lodged a complaint with police and during the course of investigation one Nigerian allegedly involved in the crime was arrested on October 13, the police release said. Further probe is on, police added.