The Samtanagar Police have arrested three men for allegedly cheating a Virar-based electrician out of Rs6 lakh by luring him into a fake US dollar exchange deal. The accused, Shahid Medbul Haque Sheikh (45), Nuralam Aynul Sheikh (38), and Shahjan Irshad Sheikh (44), had been absconding for nearly 11 months before being arrested on May 3, 2025.
They were presented before the Borivali court, which remanded them to police custody until May 6.
The victim, Bhavesh Barot, who owns an electrical shop in Virar, became acquainted with one of the accused, Abdul, who sold mangoes outside his shop since 2020. In May 2024, Abdul offered Barot a deal to purchase US dollars at a discounted rate, presenting a few genuine notes to gain his trust.
On June 6, 2024, Barot met two accomplices of Abdul in Kandivali East and handed over Rs6 lakh in cash. In return, he received a suspicious bundle, which later turned out to contain soap bars instead of currency.
Realizing the fraud, Barot filed a police complaint. After extensive investigation, police tracked and arrested the trio nearly a year after the incident. Authorities are now probing whether the gang has duped others in similar scams.
