The Tourism Police Station in Jaipur has uncovered a gang engaged in defrauding foreign tourists. The authorities have successfully apprehended three suspects, including the ringleader, in connection with fraudulent activities. The individuals involved in the fraud case, Asgar, Sharif Baik, and Qayyum, have been taken into custody. They had coerced foreign tourists into giving them large sums of money by threatening them with imprisonment and instilling fear of legal repercussions.
Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph stated that a complaint was lodged via email by a foreign tourist from Japan, leading to the registration of a case and subsequent arrest of the three suspects. Efforts are ongoing to locate other fugitive suspects. Additionally, on March 28th, a concerned foreign tourist named Sasoon Takeshi filed a complaint via email at the Tourism Police Station. Takeshi recounted arriving in Jaipur for sightseeing on December 2, 2022, and staying at a hotel. On December 3, 2022, he encountered an auto driver named Sharif outside the hotel, who was conversing in Japanese.
A Japanese tourist was defrauded of Rs 30 lakhs
He had a conversation with the tourist about visiting Jaipur. The auto driver mentioned taking him to Jaipur for 600 rupees. As they spent the day sightseeing, they became good friends with the auto driver. In the evening, the auto driver Sharif said he would take them to his friend’s house for a party. Encouraged by the Japanese-speaking auto driver, the foreign tourist went along with him. Sharif, the auto driver, also brought his friend Qayyum along and took them to Asgar’s house in Jhotwara. There, they found a person named Mubarik already present. Everyone had food and enjoyed the party. Sharif and others praised Asgar as a very influential person, boasting about his involvement in significant social activities.
Asgar said, “I can make you a hefty profit through business deals.” They returned to the hotel at night. The next day, the tourist was supposed to visit the Ganges River. However, the auto driver Sharif and his friend Qayyum suggested that there was a big party in Asgar’s village, where they could enjoy themselves. The accused took the foreign tourist towards Ramgarh Sethan village in Sikar. There, he was kept for 2 days and presented with various temptations.
On the night of December 6, 2022, two fake policemen entered the house and started talking about dealing with cannabis. They began falsely accusing the foreign tourists and threatening to send them to jail. Asgar negotiated with the fake policemen to take the money and let them go. The accused took the cash that the tourist had and was still not satisfied. Asgar then demanded to take gold through a credit card, saying they would release the tourist if they complied. The next day, everyone took the tourist to Jaipur.
In Jaipur, they purchased approximately 26.50 lakh rupees worth of gold from two major showrooms using a credit card. After obtaining the gold, they dropped the tourist at the airport. The tourists went back to Japan. Upon reaching Japan, the accused Asgar transferred 2.87 lakh rupees into Mubarik’s account. In this way, the victim was cheated out of nearly 30 lakhs. Investigations are ongoing with the accused. More such cases may be uncovered during the investigation.
The modus operandi of the accused: Using fake police to threaten victims, blackmail them into paying money
The accused formed a group to deceive foreign tourists. One person in the group was an auto driver who knew foreign languages. He spoke Japanese and would make friends with Japanese tourists coming to Jaipur for sightseeing. The foreign tourists were impressed by his language skills. Afterwards, they would introduce the tourist to their friend. They would invite the tourist to their house for a meal.
The accused would take the tourist along with them and party. The leader tempted them with the promise of making big profits. Later, they would take the tourist to their village in Sikar. They would inquire about the amount of money the tourist had in their bank. If the tourist had a substantial amount, they would invite two accomplices to their house disguised as fake policemen and accuse the tourist of selling drugs. They would threaten to send the foreign tourist to jail.
Negotiations would be held with the fake policemen to take money from the foreign tourists and let them go. Whatever cash the foreign tourist had would be taken, and they would demand more money. If the tourist mentioned not having additional funds, the leader would tell the tourist that they had a credit card and should use it to buy gold. The tourist, fearful, would follow their instructions and go to a showroom. Whatever amount was available on the tourist’s credit card, they would buy 24-carat gold. They would then act as if they were giving the gold to the fake policeman waiting outside and assure the tourists that the police would not arrest them. Finally, they would drop the tourist at the airport.