Mumbai, Dec 10: Mumbai Police have arrested three members of a gang that cheated a 76-year-old man of ₹2 lakh under the pretext of exchanging Saudi Riyal currency. The case has been registered in Byculla Police Station under Sections 3(5) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
According to police, the incident happened between November 8 and November 12 and an FIR was registered on November 13. The complainant, Abbas Mohammad Ali (76), resident of MHADA Colony, Sion Mill Compound, Mazgaon, Cotton Green, was allegedly cheated of ₹2,00,000.
The arrested accused have been identified as Mohammad Usman Mohammad Muttalik Ali alias Aslam (32), Mohammad Hasan Mohammad Kabir Sheikh (26), and Rahim Mainuddin Khan (35), all residents of Arif Tower, Room No. 104, Rashid Compound, Kausa, Mumbra, Thane.
Fraud Committed by Showing Fake Saudi Riyal Notes
On November 8, a man identifying himself as Shabbir approached the complainant and showed him a 100-denomination Saudi Riyal note. He claimed to possess 1,700 such notes and said he urgently needed Indian currency. He lured the complainant by offering to exchange his Riyals at a lower rate.
Between November 8 and 11, the accused contacted the complainant from different mobile numbers and convinced him to provide ₹2 lakh in return for 1,700 Saudi Riyal notes of 100 denomination each.
On November 12, the accused called the complainant near Yashdeep Building, opposite Ali Shramik Nagar, Kedarnath Mandir Road, Nehru Nagar, Kurla (West). After taking ₹2 lakh from him, the gang handed over a bundle wrapped in a handkerchief, claiming it contained Saudi Riyals. The packet was later found to be filled with pieces of paper.
Crime Branch Tracks and Arrests Accused
As per the directions of senior officials, Unit-3 of the Crime Branch began a parallel technical investigation. CCTV footage from the Kurla crime spot indicated the presence of 5–6 suspects. It was also found that the mobile SIM cards used during the offence were operational only for committing the crime.
Further technical analysis and CDR details revealed that the accused frequently moved around the Charnipada and Kausa-Mumbra areas and switched their phones on and off as required. CCTV examination in these localities helped police identify their regular meeting spots.
A team deployed informers in the area and conducted continuous surveillance. On December 9, 2025, all three suspects were detained from Charnipada in Kausa-Mumbra. After confirming their involvement, they were medically examined and handed over to Byculla Police for further investigation.
Gang Linked to Multiple Similar Offences
During preliminary interrogation, the accused confessed to committing similar frauds in Kurla, Ghansoli, Koparkhairane, Diva, Surat, Hyderabad, and other locations. Investigations to verify these claims are underway.
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The operation was carried out by officers of Crime Branch Unit-3, including PSI Amol Mali, API Ghatkar, Police Naik Deepak Palande, Vinod Parab, Rajendra Chavan, Ashok Patil, Ravindra Dewarde, Vaibhav Girkar, Pankaj Bhosale, Vasudev Parab, PSI Kiran Shelar, Vikas Chavan, Rahul Patil, WPC Swapnali Deshmukh, and PC (Driver) Maruti Khedkar.
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