Doctor swindled of Rs 17 crore by 2 Fraudsters Posing as Dubai E-Cigarette Distributors

Thiruvananthapuram: In yet another shocking fraud case, a 55-year-old doctor from Sreevaraham fell victim to an elaborate e-cigarette manufacturing scam, losing a staggering Rs 17 crore to two fraudsters who allegedly lured him with the promise of a distribution license for a Dubai-based e-cigarette company.

The fraud came to light after the doctor realised that he was scammed after paying the amount in cash for the past 6 months in various intervals in 2020. Accordingly, an FIR was registered against the two fraudsters and an investigation was launched in this connection on Sunday.

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The incident took place in Dubai when the doctor with a logistics business there had an interaction with the two accused who claimed themselves as the directors of a ‘facilitating company' allegedly owned by a Dubai native. The accused promised to get him a distribution license for a Dubai-based e-cigarette company. In return, they demanded money from the doctor. 

The ordeal began in mid-2020 when he trusted the accused claims and transferred funds in phases for six months from June to December 2020. However, even after investing a large sum of money, the doctor did not get what he was promised. 

In 2022, the accused reportedly attempted to settle with the complainant by offering him property in India, but the arrangement failed. The doctor then approached the Chief Minister’s Office, leading to the case being forwarded to the state police chief and city police commissioner. AN FIR was registered under sections of IPC 406 for criminal breach of trust and 420 for cheating. 

According to the complaint, the accused who claimed to be the director of the company was found to be the sponsor of the firm. 

Speaking to TOI, he said, "Several other people have also fallen into their trap. A fraud worth a total of Rs 200 crore has happened, and I came to know that there are several cases against the accused in other districts too. They failed to keep the promise after taking money from me. The accused have bought properties worth crores in India with the money defrauded from several people, and in 2022 they offered me a property instead of the money. However, this arrangement also did not materialise."

The police team investigating the matter said, "We have registered a case but the probe into the case is extremely difficult. The transaction of cash happened in Dubai. After all, the firm has no links in India. We are checking all possible methods to proceed with the investigation."

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