Transnational lottery scam busted in Delhi; six, including 2 Nigerians, held

News18

6 days ago

New Delhi, Jul 20 (PTI) Delhi Police has claimed to have busted a transnational cheating syndicate operating in Delhi-NCR with the arrest of six people, including two Nigerians, an official said on Sunday.
Police said that the accused were defrauding Indian citizens through fake lotteries, gifts, and prize schemes. The gang, active for several years, lured unsuspecting victims into transferring large sums of money to fraudulently created bank accounts in exchange for non-existent rewards.
The accused have been identified as Shahid Raza (45), Shahrukh Khan (23), Vikas (25), and Rakesh alias Lalu (22). They worked with two Nigerians — Shedrack Onainor (29) and Sunday John alias Liberty (40).
Vikram Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch), said the syndicate's operation came to light after specific inputs were received on July 7 regarding a group of fraudsters operating out of Delhi, cheating people through fraudulent online lottery and gift schemes.
'Acting on the input, a team launched a surveillance operation. During the operation, Shahid Raza was apprehended from Punjabi Bagh in Delhi, while in possession of Rs 3.63 lakh in cash, nine ATM cards and a mobile phone containing incriminating data. His interrogation revealed a deep-rooted network involving both Indian and foreign nationals of Nigerian origin," said the DCP.
Subsequent raids led to the arrest of Shedrack Onainor from Khanpur in Delhi, while he was allegedly collecting the cheated money. Onainor was found to have been illegally residing in India since 2018. He overstayed his medical visa. Incriminating digital evidence was also recovered from his possession.
Based on disclosures made by Raza and Onainor, further arrests followed — Shahrukh Khan, Raza's son-in-law; Vikas and Rakesh, brothers from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh; and Nigerian national Sunday John, who had overstayed his business visa since 2024.
'Teams seized multiple mobile phones, Aadhaar and PAN cards, cheque books, passbooks, and other items linked to the cheating racket," he added.
Sharing the modus operandi of the accused, police said that they adopted a well-coordinated system. 'The Nigerian handlers — Onainor and Sunday — acted as masterminds, luring victims through fake online lottery and prize announcements. Once a victim transferred money into designated accounts, the Indian accomplices managed its withdrawal and delivery," the DCP said.
Shahid Raza and Shahrukh Khan handled cash operations. Raza withdrew funds using ATM cards and delivered cash to the Nigerian accused after retaining a 15 per cent commission. Shahrukh, meanwhile, managed UPI-based transfers using online applications and oversaw the activation and operation of fake accounts.
Rakesh and his brother Vikas played a key role in account fabrication. They used forged Aadhaar documents with updated Delhi-based addresses and fake SIM cards. They opened nearly 20 bank accounts under the name of Vikas across different banks. These accounts were later used to route fraudulent transactions. Another friend allegedly facilitated the Aadhaar updates without valid documents or verification, DCP added.
'The ATM cards linked to these accounts were handed over to Shahrukh and Shahid. Shahrukh generated UPI IDs and managed digital fund transfers. Withdrawals were executed by Shahid, who then handed over the cheated funds to Shedrack and Sunday John at various designated spots in Delhi, often travelling by autorickshaw," DCP Singh said.
Police said the commission system was also structured. Out of the 15 per cent cut from the withdrawn funds, 5 per cent went to Rakesh and Vikas for arranging the accounts and SIMs (3 per cent to Vikas, 2 per cent to Rakesh), while the rest was kept by Shahid and Shahrukh. Payments were made in cash or through online methods.
According to the police, among the seized items were 10 mobile phones, Rs 3.63 lakh in Rs 500 denomination notes, multiple Aadhaar and PAN cards, cheque books, and bank passbooks.
Sharing the profile of the accused, police said that Shedrack Onainor, originally from Delta State, Nigeria, came to India in 2013 on a medical visa that expired in 2018. He stayed on illegally and engaged in cheating operations. He was the main link between the Indian recruits and his Nigerian co-conspirators.
Shahid Raza, a resident of Bareilly, UP, previously worked in Saudi Arabia and later sold fruits in Delhi. He entered the racket around eight years ago to support his family, lured by the promise of a 15 per cent commission.
Shahrukh Khan, Raza's son-in-law, was educated up to class 7. He was influenced by villagers in Bareilly who were involved in similar frauds. Vikas is a class 6 dropout from Bareilly and previously worked as a tailor in Ghaziabad. Rakesh alias Lalu is uneducated and works as a painter and polisher. He helped his brother Vikas with Aadhaar forgery and account creation.
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Sunday John alias Liberty, a Nigerian national, entered India on a business visa in 2023, which expired in 2024. He stayed on illegally and became a key member of the racket. He routinely collected money from Shahid and Shahrukh and shared the illicit proceeds with other Nigerian co-conspirators.
'All six have been remanded to judicial custody," police said. Further investigation is underway. PTI BM HIG
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