A Ranchi businessman has been allegedly conned by a "London-based" Facebook friend, two other foreigners and their Indian conduit of over Rs 83 lakh after he was lured with a well-laid out fraudulent scheme to apparently supply medicinal seeds for a cancer drug being developed by a UK pharmaceutical company that he later discovered was fake.
Ajay Kumar Singh (40) of Sarweshwari Nagar on Itki Road lodged a complaint at Pandra police station three days ago. On Thursday, police converted the complaint, naming Mumbai-based Ashok Modi, Richel Johnson, Gurr Paul and Alfred William, to an FIR.
Police believe the names are fictitious.
Richel befriended Singh, who owns telecommunication firm Singh Infratel, on Facebook on June 22. He introduced himself as a resident of London and an employee of Classical Pharmaceutical in the UK.
Later, he allegedly asked Singh to supply a herbal seed, Extract Monodora, for a cancer drug to his company. He said Classical Pharmaceutical would pay him $6500 for each packet of 400 grams of seed, which cost $2750 in India.
Richel also put him on to a supplier from Mumbai, Ashok Modi, and some officials of his company.
The businessmen fell for the scheme, attracted by the promise of big profits, and ended up procuring 100 packets from Modi for around Rs 80 lakh.
Pandra officer-in-charge Sambhu Prasad Kushwaha said: "The FIR has been lodged under Sections 420 (cheating), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC and provisions of the Information Technology Act."
Speaking to The Telegraph, Singh said: "I met Modi in Mumbai on July 2. He gave me two packets of seeds for which I paid Rs 3.5 lakh. Richel then gave me the mail ID and phone number of one Gurr Paul (purchasing manager of his company). They sent a person called Alfred William, who met me at Birsa Munda Airport on July 6, received the two packets and returned to Delhi by the next flight."
The same day, Singh received a mail from Paul, placing a bulk order of 150 packets of seeds, 100 of which had to be sent immediately. Singh approached Modi. "I took a loan of Rs 80 lakh from SBI. For the 100 packets, I first deposited Rs 3 lakh, then Rs 55 lakh, another Rs 20 lakh and finally around Rs 2 lakh in two accounts provided by Ashok," he said.
But Modi sent him only 70 packets and demanded another Rs 55 lakh for the remaining 30 packets.
"I discovered I had been duped when Alfred refused to visit Ranchi to receive the 70 packets and Richel blocked me on Facebook and switched off his phones. I then discovered that the pharma company was also fake," Singh said.
The same gang had apparently targeted one Binod Kumar from Buxar, Bihar. Binod, who lost Rs 6 lakh in June, has also lodged an FIR. "That person who posed as Alfred to Ajay in Ranchi he had introduced himself to me as Robert in Delhi. I am also looking for these frauds," Binod informed.
Asked whether now he recognizes seeds Singh said: "I am unable to identify variety of seeds but it smells."
