Drug courier: Kerala men arrested in Chennai for Rs 3.6 lakh scam

Chennai: Two men from Kollam, Kerala, have been arrested by the Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Police for allegedly extorting Rs 3.6 lakh from a woman under false pretences related to a courier company. Nithin Joseph (31) and A Ramees (31) were arrested from Kerala and then brought to Chennai, where they have been remanded in judicial custody.

The arrests were made following a complaint lodged by a resident of Mylapore last April. The victim received a call from someone claiming to be from FedEx courier services, who falsely informed her that drugs were found in a parcel addressed to her. Another caller, posing as a cyber crime officer from Mumbai Police, coerced her into making the payment to avoid legal repercussions.

After the demands, the woman transferred Rs 3.6 lakh to the specified bank account. Upon checking, she discovered the account was in Kerala. Following this, the police was informed and Nithin Joseph and Ramees were arrested during the ongoing investigation. The Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Police reported approximately 500 victims of courier fraud in the State over the past four months.