Nigerian dupes man of Rs 4 lakh, held

A 42-year-old Nigerian was arrested last night for allegedly duping a man of over Rs 4 lakh by promising him a hefty commission on selling herbal seeds, police said today.

The accused, identified as Daniel Chukwuanu, made the victim believe that he would be paid a premium for buying the seed from a particular vendor in the city, an official said.

The said vendor turned out to be a member of the gang, he said.

"The victim bought the seed for Rs 4,12,000 and sent it to the address mentioned by the accused, but never got any money in return," the official said.

Based on the complaint, police launched a probe and nabbed the accused from Mira Bhyander in neighbouring Thane district last night, the official said.

Police suspect that Chukwuanu is part of a huge racket that has duped over 100 people using the same modus operandi.

He has been booked under section 420 (cheating) 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the IPC, the official said, adding that efforts were on to nab other members of the gang.