5 Mumbai cheats land in police net
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
PORVORIM, MAY 13
Mapusa police on Thursday arrested five persons from Thana-Mumbai on charges of cheating a computer dealer from Mapusa to the tune of Rs 3.68 lakhs.
The accused have been identified as Khalil Sheikh, Zamir Anwar, Tanwir Khan, Ismail Khan and Sameer Bhatiza.
Narrating the sequence of events, Mapusa police said the five accused had placed an order with computer dealer Harshad Govekar from Mapusa for three laptops and three UPS costing Rs 3.68 lakhs. The order was placed through an e-mail.
Police informed that Govekar requested the accused to give him an advance of Rs 10,000. However, instead of paying Rs 10,000, the accused agreed to issue a demand draft for the entire amount of Rs 3.68 lakhs.
Govekar agreed to the demand draft and advised the accused to convey him the number of the demand draft, which was done by the accused over the phone.
As a safety measure, Govekar checked with the bank whether the number provided by the accused was correct. However, when the bank informed Govekar that the draft number was false, the computer dealer immediately contacted Mapusa police.
On the advice of Mapusa police, Govekar called the accused to collect the goods. The five accused arrived in the State on Thursday. Out of the five, Tanvir, Ismail and Sameer alighted at Panjim, while Khalil and Zamir proceeded to Mapusa to take delivery of the goods.
In the meantime, Govekar informed the police that two of the accused were on their way to his shop to collectgoods.
As soon as Khalil and Zamir Khan delivered the demand draft to Govekar, police appeared on the scene and took the accused to the bank to verify the demand draft. When the bank confirmed that the demand draft was false, police arrested Khalil and Zamir.
Police then directed the duo to call their colleagues, Tanvir, Ismail and Sameer, and tell them that they have collected the goods and they should meet them on the national highway at Guirim.
However, Tanvir, Ismail and Sameer told Khalil and Zamir Anwar that they would meet them at Banda and accordingly, police kept a watch at Patradevi check post.
In the meantime, police checked the signals of the mobile phone, from which they could ascertain that the three accused were in Pernem.
Police nabbed Tanwir, Ismail and Sameer in Pernem while they were proceeding towards Banda in a rickshaw.
