A 46-year-old Iranian national was arrested by the Delhi Police for robbing a Sudanese national in the capital city after impersonating as an intelligence agency official, it was revealed on Sunday.

The accused, identified as Hossein Rezafard Ahmad, came to India on a medical visa in May this year. The victim Mohd Bakry had arrived from Sudan last month also on a medical visa which is valid till November 2022.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Esha Pandey said the complainant Bakry visited Lajpat Nagar police station on June 14 and alleged that at around 4.40 p.m. on that day, he along with his wife were returning from SCI Hospital, GK-1.

All of a sudden, three people came in a car and stopped them. Thereafter, they introduced themselves as officials from an intelligence agency and started searching their hand bag on the pretext that he might be carrying drugs.

“When the complainant looked into his hand bag, he found that the cash currency including Rs 50,000, $6,500 and some Sudanese pounds were missing,” the DCP said.

Accordingly, the police registered an FIR under section 379 of the Indian Penal Code at the Lajpat Nagar police station and initiated the probe.

A police team was constituted which analysed the CCTV footage of the cameras installed near the place of incidence and identified a suspected car.

The said car was found registered in the name of Lucky Queen Tourism, Village Mahipalpur, Delhi. The team approached the owner of the firm who stated that he had sold the car around three months back to one Nawab.

On reaching his last address, it was found that Nawab had already left Gurugram.

The police team then took the mobile number of Nawab from the owner of the firm and put it on surveillance. On the basis of the electronic surveillance, one more mobile number was zeroed as it was in constant touch with the accused Nawab.

Further, it was put on surveillance and the team found its location and the Iranian accused was arrested.

On sustained interrogation, Ahmad disclosed that he is from Tehran and came to India on a medical visa on May 21. He got attracted towards the crime after becoming friends with his associates.

“The trio used to target vulnerable foreign nationals who come to Delhi on medical visas. They track the movements of persons who visit hospitals and then follow them for committing the crime,” Pandey said.

With his arrest, around $2,000, 4,000 Sudanese pounds, 28,000 Iranian riyal, 200 Saudi riyal, Rs 5,000 and one car used in commission of offence have been recovered.