Foreigner's 'magic trick' to convert Indian notes into US dollars lands him in jail

A Cameroon national was arrested here on Tuesday for allegedly duping people in the name of converting their Indian currency notes into American dollars through a "magic", police said.

The accused, Kamleu-Nya Alain, was arrested from Sector 121 here, the police said.

He told police that he has earlier also been jailed in India for fraud and his passport is submitted at the Tis Hazari Court in Delhi at present, Noida Superintendent of Police Vineet Jaiswal said.

"He would promise people to return them more money, and convert their Indian currency notes into US dollar notes. A white powder and water-like fluid has been seized from his possession which he would use for the 'magic trick' for converting notes, he said.

A man approached the police on Monday claiming the foreigner has duped him of Rs 10 lakh using the same "magic trick". Alain would use his "magic trick" on notes and tell gullible people to check the money after two hours and find it converted into American dollars, the officer said.

"The victim handed him over Rs 10 lakh and got back a packet of plain papers in the shape of currency notes, with the first and last notes of the wad having a Rs 2,000 note which was printed by the accused," Jaiswal said.

An FIR has been registered against him under IPC sections for fraud, under the Foreigners Act and the IT Act, and he has been sent to jail, the police said.

The Rs 10 lakh of the victim have been recovered from Alain and the wad of fake notes has also been taken into possession by the police, the police said.