Gujarat Police Bust Online Fraud Racket Linked to Nigerian Cyber Syndicate

The Gujarat Cyber Crime Police have uncovered a large online fraud racket that cheated Indian businessmen and sent the money to a Nigerian cyber network. Six people have been arrested after an extensive digital and human intelligence operation.

According to the police, the gang operated from Jamnagar, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, running a fake pharmaceutical export business. The case came to light when Ahmedabad-based businessman Nihar Verma lodged a complaint saying he was cheated of ₹32.7 lakh in a fraudulent export deal for a homeopathic medicine called Eupatorium Mercola, claimed to be in demand in Africa for treating malaria and dengue.

The fraudsters posed as representatives of an African company seeking an Indian supplier. To gain Verma’s trust, they asked him to buy a “sample consignment” worth ₹5.52 lakh from a fake firm — Sharma Enterprises Manufacturing — allegedly based in Bhilwara, Rajasthan. After a so-called “scientist” in Delhi confirmed the sample’s approval, Verma paid another ₹27 lakh as an advance for a larger order.

However, when Verma personally visited the Bhilwara address, he discovered that the company did not exist. He immediately filed a complaint with the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police, which registered a case under various sections of the IPC and the IT Act.

Following a detailed technical and financial investigation, police arrested Asgar Aziz Pathan, Abhishek Maheshbhai Joshi, Pravinbhai Bhojabhai Nandania, Deep Popatpari Goswami, and Nitin Babubhai Bhatia from Jamnagar. Further operations in Mumbai and Bengaluru led to the arrest of more suspects linked to Nigerian handlers.

“This wasn’t a routine cyber fraud,” said a senior officer. “The gang used fake identities, websites, and business profiles to run a well-planned con. The money trail shows that the funds were routed through multiple accounts to reach a Nigerian syndicate.”

Preliminary findings suggest that the arrested individuals acted as money mules, helping transfer stolen money through several bank accounts to hide its origin. The police have seized digital devices, fake documents, and banking records for forensic examination.

Officials said that more arrests are expected as the investigation continues to track the masterminds operating from Nigeria using fake import-export fronts and online intermediaries.