By Biodun Busari
A Nigerian identified as Kenneth has been arrested by the Indian police in Panchkula area, Bahadurgarh over an alleged involvement in a cyber fraud.
Kenneth and his Zimbabwean accomplice, Tapvia, reportedly defrauded a retired government official of ₹13.10 lakh (approximately N250m) on the promise of high investment returns.
The suspects were nabbed following an investigation instituted by operatives of the Cyber Crime Police Station in Panchkula.
According to The Indian Express on Thursday, the police said the duo was arraigned before a court, which granted investigators five days to interrogate them.
During the period, officers reportedly recovered 11 mobile phones and seven passports from the suspects, and they were later remanded in judicial custody.
The report stated, “The case stemmed from a complaint filed on February 20, 2026, by a 63-year-old retired central government officer, who alleged that he was defrauded of ₹13.10 lakh.
“Investigators said the complainant met a woman on Facebook in December 2025. The woman allegedly claimed to be based in the United Kingdom and later moved their conversations to WhatsApp, where she reportedly gained the victim’s trust through regular calls and messages.
“The woman was said to have introduced the retiree to another individual presented as her relative, who allegedly convinced him to invest in a pharmaceutical business with a promise of threefold returns.”
The authorities said the victim subsequently transferred ₹13.10 lakh to various bank accounts between December 2025 and February 2026 but neither received any products nor returns on his investment.
After realising he had been duped, the retiree reportedly lodged a complaint through India’s National Cyber Helpline, leading to the registration of a case and subsequent investigation.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime and Traffic, Amarinder Singh, confirmed the development, noting that investigations were ongoing to identify other persons linked to the alleged fraud.
