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A 37-year-old Pune man, Vijay Gautam Ghodke, has been arrested for allegedly defrauding a health consultant from Dadar East of Rs5.87 crore in a fake drug parcel scam. Ghodke, who previously worked as a sand dealer but is currently unemployed, played a pivotal role in the elaborate con.
The incident came to light when the 47-year-old complainant received a call from an unknown person claiming to be a representative of FedEx Express Courier. The fraudster falsely informed her that a parcel in her name, containing MD drugs, was intercepted by customs officials while en route to Iran.
In a sophisticated scheme, the scammers impersonated law enforcement officers during video calls and threatened her with legal action. Using fear and manipulation, the gang managed to extort Rs5.87 crore from the victim over nine transactions between March 30 and April 4, 2023.
The Mumbai Crime Branch’s central cyber police traced Ghodke through technical investigations. It was discovered that Rs1.25 crore of the defrauded amount had been transferred into his account. Ghodke was arrested and will face charges for his involvement in this major fraud.
Authorities continue to investigate to uncover other possible accomplices and recover the remaining funds.