Nigerian and Zimbabwean nationals arrested in India for allegedly duping 63-year-old retired govt officer

Police have arrested Nigerian and Zimbabwean nationals for allegedly duping a retired Central Government officer of Rs 13.10 lakh in India. 

Acting on the directions of Police Commissioner Pankaj Nain, the cyber crime police on Sunday, July 13, 2026, arrested the Zimbabwean, Tapuwa, who had come to India on a student visa, and the Nigerian, Kenneth, who was staying on a medical visa. 

The accused allegedly created fake identities of women from the UK on WhatsApp and lured the victim into investing in a fake pharmaceutical business by promising returns of three times the investment. 

Both accused were produced before the court and remanded to five days of police custody. 

A 63-year-old retired officer from Panchkula lodged a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Portal on February 20. 

He stated that in December 2025, he came in contact with a woman on Facebook, who claimed to be living in the UK.

The woman introduced him to another person claiming to be her relative. 

She convinced the retired officer to invest in a pharmaceutical business, assuring him that the company would purchase and sell the products and provide huge profit to him. 

The complainant transferred Rs 13.10 lakh to different bank accounts between December 2025 and February 2026. 

However, he neither received any products nor any profit.

Based on technical investigation, a police team reached Bahadurgarh, where they arrested Tapiwa and Kenneth. 

The accused handed the mobile phones and SIM cards used in committing the cyber fraud.