Three Nigerian nationals living without valid passports were arrested by Delhi Police for allegedly honey trapping and duping several people on pretext of promising to give them a chemical and black dollars (notes covered with black coating that could be converted into rupees after treatment with the chemical).

Police said as many as 35 mobile phones, 25 SIM cards, five dongles, one laptop with several incriminating documents, Rs 1,90,000 cash, LED TVs, two Khukris, were recovered from the Chhatarpur residence of the accused identified as Ifeanyi Justin Lemchi, Chika Ejimonu, and Onyedikachi.

“A week before a complaint was lodged by a native of Jodhpur at Mayur Vihar police station regarding a person duped of Rs 55 lakh by Nigerians. The complainant was honey trapped by Srg. Lena Angel, a Nigerian who claimed to be a US navy personnel posted in Syria. She had sent some gifts to the complainant for which the latter paid charges through online transactions. Thereafter, the complainant had been called to Delhi to collect a parcel which contained black dollars,” police said.

According to police, further the complainant was asked to buy a chemical for Rs. 5,00,000 to treat those black dollars which could be converted into rupees if kept in a fridge for 72 hours. Dollars with Indian Rupee notes and place it in the fridge for 72 hours. After the man found he had been cheated he approached the police.

Electronic surveillance was mounted and probable locations of the suspects were identified. Several raids were conducted and finally the three suspects were arrested.

Police claimed that the gang had 42 bank accounts in names of Indians. Fourteen of the accounts revealed transactions of over Rs 1.5 crore in January this year. All that money had been transferred in small sums to Nigeria.