Mumbai: The Mumbai crime branch (CB) has busted a gang that cheated Americans under the pretext of selling to them banned sexual performance enhancing medicines at cheaper rates. The accused contacted the victims from an illegal call centre operating out of suburban Mumbai through Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), officials said.
The arrested accused were identified as Ashley D’Souza (34) and Mudassar Mankandar (34), who were apprehended from Sumer Plaza from where the illegal call centre was operating. The police began investigating after receiving specific information on the victimisation of American nationals. Unit X of the Crime Branch raided the premise based on the
tip-off.
A CB officer said, “The accused had been targeting the foreigners by offering medicines like Viagra, Cilais and Levitre that enhance sexual performance at costs cheaper than the market rates. The monetary transaction would take place and the accused would go incommunicado.”
The accused would claim to be calling from an online pharmacy and speak to the victims in an American accent leaving no room for doubt. The officials are recording the statements of the operators and are on the lookout for accomplices of the arrested accused.
The details of the foreigners conned by the accused are being compiled to ascertain the scope of the fraud. The computers, hard-discs and other equipment, including phones, has been seized for further investigation.
A case of cheating, impersonation and act of common intention under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under relevant sections of the Technology Act has been filed against the accused and further investigation is underway.
