In a significant cybercrime crackdown, Ahmedabad Cybercrime Police have arrested five individuals in connection with a Rs32.72 lakh scam linked to a Nigerian cyber fraud network. The arrested suspects were identified as:
Asgar Pathan (43)
Abhishek Joshi (26)
Pravin Nandaniya (30)
Deep Goswami (25)
Nitin Bhatia (26)
They were apprehended in Jamnagar following a technical and intelligence-driven operation, police confirmed.
The investigation was triggered by a complaint from Nihar Verma (26), a businessman from Ahmedabad’s Maninagar area. Verma was lured into a bogus international pharma deal involving a rare homeopathic medicine called Eupatorium Mercola liquid, supposedly used for treating malaria and dengue in Africa.
The fraudsters, posing as representatives of an African company, promised Verma a role as a middleman and offered a hefty profit margin. They introduced a fake Indian supplier named Sharma Enterprises Manufacturing and even arranged a meeting in Delhi with a so-called African scientist named Moshin Murray to verify the sample.
Trusting the deal, Verma paid Rs27 lakh in advance. However, when he traveled to Bhilwara, Rajasthan to collect the goods, he discovered that no such company existed. Realizing he had been duped, he filed a police complaint.
According to ACP Hardik Makadia, the trail led to fake firms like Kumar Enterprises and BA Enterprises, where the stolen funds were routed.
Breakdown of the money trail:
Nitin Bhatia received Rs27.2 lakh, which he and Pravin Nandaniya withdrew and passed on to Deep Goswami.
Asgar Pathan received Rs9.9 lakh, which he and Abhishek Joshi also funneled to Goswami.
Deep Goswami was identified as the local handler for the Nigerian network, managing a network of fake bank accounts under various business names. He reportedly handled close to Rs2 crore in similar frauds, keeping a 7–10% commission.
During raids, police seized:
6 mobile phones
2 cheque books
1 debit card
1 SIM card
The accused have been remanded to police custody for two days, while the investigation continues to trace additional operatives and financial links in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Chandigarh.
