SCAMSTERS INC.

The police arrested one more Nigerian on Friday in connection with the online fraud in which a native of Mankadavu, near Pappinissery, lost Rs 40 lakh last week. The arrest of Ise-ifan Immanuel, 35, came barely a week after the arrest of the kingpin of the gang, Shaba Abdul Rasak, 34, by the Cyber Cell of the police led by IG Tomin Thachankery.

The police also recovered several fake documents, including a UK resident permit and copies of passports, from his laptop. The gang is suspected to have links with terrorist outfits, said Thachankery.

Immanuel was arrested at Puthiatheru near here early in the morning. The victims of the online racket run by the Nigerian nationals include a woman from Thottada here. She lost Rs 5.5 lakh, the police said. Another girl in Delhi, a native of Kottayam, had also been defrauded by the gang.

The racket came to light with the arrest of Rasak, who allegedly defrauded Poovankulathil Sherief of Mankadavu. Sherief fell into the trap set by the Nigerian after he received a message in his e-mail address, informing him that he had been chosen as the legal heir of "a wealthy Nigerian who died recently". Sherief was directed to reach Nigeria to approach the Bank of Africa "to claim the $15 million left behind," as per the message.

He was later told to make payments to "meet the expenses to get the amount released from the bank" and he transferred Rs 40 lakh through various banks and money transfer agencies as directed by Rasak.

Obviously, some Bank of Africa staff were also complicit as Sherief had received a communication from the bank too. The police Cyber Cell managed to arrest Rasak after bringing him from Bangalore to Kannur.

With the arrest of Immanuel, it expects to nab others in the racket.

Source: Express Buzz