The Special Task Force (STF) of Uttarakhand has arrested a Nigerian national believed to be the mastermind of a large-scale international cyber fraud network that allegedly cheated an Uttarakhand resident out of nearly INR 2.9 crore through a fake parcel delivery scam.
Officials identified the suspect as Colinus Ugochukwu Nwaemuka, a resident of Imo State, Nigeria, who was detained in Delhi following a month-long investigation by the STF’s Cyber Crime Unit. The arrest marks one of the first major successes for the state’s newly trained “cyber commando” team under the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).
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The Fraud Scheme
According to police, the victim, a Dehradun resident, was contacted in July via Facebook by a woman claiming to be a senior manager at a pharmaceutical company in Amsterdam. After establishing trust, she told the victim she was sending a parcel through “Flota Logistics,” which allegedly contained valuable items.
Soon after, the victim was contacted by individuals posing as customs agents and “National Cyber Security” officials. They demanded repeated payments for “scanning fees,” “gold licenses,” “currency conversion,” GST, insurance, and clearance charges. Over multiple transactions, the victim transferred INR 24,88,400 to various bank accounts. Additional demands for “case settlement” and “file clearance” led to a further INR 4,10,250 being paid.
In total, the victim lost INR 28,98,650. Investigators say the gang used fake social media profiles, forged government titles, counterfeit parcel tracking domains, and numerous SIM cards to carry out the fraud.
Investigation and Arrest
Following the complaint, the STF traced digital evidence, including WhatsApp chats, Facebook messages, bank account records, and domain registrations. This led to the identification of Nwaemuka, who allegedly coordinated the operation and managed accounts through which crores of rupees were transacted over just a few months.
During the arrest, police seized 15 mobile phones, 10 SIM cards, five bank cards, two passports, a laptop, a Wi-Fi dongle, and a PAN card. Authorities are now coordinating with police in other states, as the accused is suspected of involvement in similar scams nationwide.
Senior STF officials have urged the public to remain cautious of unsolicited offers on social media, fake investment schemes, and suspicious customer care numbers found online. Victims of financial cybercrime are advised to contact the helpline 1930 immediately
