In a significant breakthrough, Chennai’s North Zone Cyber Crime Police have arrested two men from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for their involvement in an elaborate scam that defrauded a businessman from Sowcarpet of Rs 22.6 lakh. The scam centered around a fake veterinary drug deal, and the arrests followed a month-long investigation.
The first suspect, Ajmeera Sudhakar (31), was apprehended in Warangal district, Telangana, on May 11. His arrest led to the subsequent capture of P Yaragorla Srinu (32), also known as Akhil, the following day in Bapatla district, Andhra Pradesh. Authorities also seized two mobile phones used in the operation.
The duo is accused of using multiple bank accounts to launder the fraudulent funds. The investigation revealed that they withdrew more than Rs 20 lakh through cheques and ATMs at banks located in Navi Mumbai and Chembur. They are also believed to be linked to other cybercrime operations across Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Srinu reportedly earned commissions ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh per transaction for allowing fraudsters to use his accounts.
The victim, P Suresh Kumar, who runs a private firm on Narayana Mudali Street in Chennai, was initially contacted by a person named Henry Mensah on WhatsApp. Mensah, claiming to represent a company called Galaxy Veterinary Company Limited in West Africa, offered Kumar a deal to become their Indian agent for a veterinary drug. The deal promised to buy back the drugs at a higher price.
Over time, Mensah built trust with Kumar and eventually provided him with details of two Delhi-based firms from which he was to source the drugs. Kumar was instructed to transfer funds to the provided bank accounts, and he sent a total of Rs 22.6 lakh across nine transactions.
However, when Kumar received the shipment, he found only eight liters of the drug, far less than the 30 liters he had ordered. Upon discovering that the drugs were fake, Kumar tried reaching out to Mensah and his associate but found they were unresponsive.
Following Kumar’s complaint, police launched an investigation and traced the suspects through their bank records and mobile phone communications. Although no cash has been recovered from the arrested men, authorities continue to search for others involved in the scam.
The suspects were charged under relevant sections of the law, and further investigation is underway to identify additional individuals linked to the fraud.
