In a major breakthrough, the Gujarat Cyber Crime Police have dismantled a multi-city online fraud racket that allegedly siphoned money from Indian businessmen and channelled it to a Nigerian cyber syndicate. Six members of the gang have been arrested following a detailed digital and human intelligence operation.
According to investigators, the accused were operating from Jamnagar, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, running an elaborate online scam under the guise of a pharmaceutical export business. The case came to light after Nihar Verma, a city-based businessman, filed a complaint stating he was duped of ₹32.7 lakh in a fake export deal for a homeopathic medicine called Eupatorium Mercola, said to be in demand in Africa for treating malaria and dengue.
The accused had contacted Verma online, posing as representatives of an African company looking for an Indian supplier. To win his trust, they directed him to purchase a “sample consignment” worth ₹5.52 lakh from a supposed Indian vendor — Sharma Enterprises Manufacturing, based in Bhilwara, Rajasthan. The sample was allegedly “tested and approved” by a so-called African scientist in Delhi.
Once convinced of the deal’s authenticity, Verma transferred an additional ₹27 lakh as advance payment for a larger order. However, when he personally visited the Bhilwara address, he discovered that the firm never existed, exposing the elaborate fraud.
Acting on the complaint, the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police registered a case under IPC Sections 316(2), 318(4), 319(2), 61(2) and IT Act Sections 66(C) and 66(D). A technical surveillance and financial trail analysis led investigators to the suspects.
Five men — Asgar Aziz Pathan, Abhishek Maheshbhai Joshi, Pravinbhai Bhojabhai Nandania, Deep Popatpari Goswami, and Nitin Babubhai Bhatia — were arrested from Jamnagar. Following interrogation, separate teams were sent to Bengaluru and Mumbai, where more accused linked to the Nigerian handlers were taken into custody.
“This wasn’t a routine cyber fraud,” said a senior officer with the Cyber Crime Unit. “The gang used multiple fake identities, websites, and business profiles to execute the con. The money trail revealed that funds collected from victims in India were systematically routed to accounts linked to a Nigerian syndicate.”
Preliminary findings suggest the arrested individuals acted as money mules, transferring stolen funds through layers of domestic and international bank accounts to obscure the source. The police have seized digital devices, forged documents, and banking records, which are now undergoing forensic analysis.
Officials added that more arrests are likely as the investigation expands to trace the masterminds believed to be operating from Nigeria using fake import-export fronts and online intermediaries.
The Cyber Crime Police have urged citizens and businesses to exercise caution when approached with high-profit online trade offers and to verify company credentials before making any advance payments.
