Delhi: Forex firm agent summoned over 'fake' order, robbed of foreign currency worth Rs 9.79 lakh

New Delhi, Jul 14 (PTI) A delivery executive of a private forex firm was allegedly summoned to a location in east Delhi's Madhu Vihar on the pretext of a transaction and robbed of foreign currency worth Rs 9.79 lakh after being incapacitated with pepper spray, police said on Tuesday. Two persons have been arrested in this connection from Uttar Pradesh's Meerut district, with police saying more persons are likely involved in the robbery. The victim, Hare Krishna Jana (42), a field executive with Noida-based forex exchange company received what appeared to be a genuine order for an urgent delivery of 5,500 Euros to Sai Chowk in Madhu Vihar on July 6. "The caller, who introduced himself as 'Mr Singh', remained in touch with Jana and even shared a live location, giving the impression of a legitimate transaction," Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Rajeev Kumar said. Police said Jana was carrying 5,500 Euros, 35,000 Thai Baht, 2,600 US Dollars, 1,200 Chinese Yuan and Rs 10,000 in cash, with the total value of the consignment estimated around Rs 9.79 lakh. When he reached the designated spot, he was asked to sit inside a car. As soon as he entered the vehicle, three men allegedly used pepper spray on him, snatched the bag containing the foreign currency and cash, and fled in the car, leaving Jana to recover on the roadside, the officer said. An FIR was registered in this connection at Pandav Nagar police station and a special team was formed to investigate the robbery. Teams soon discovered that the delivery itself had been arranged using a fabricated identity. "The address provided by the caller was found to have remained locked for several years, and local enquiries revealed that no person by the name of 'Mr Singh' had ever lived there," the DCP said. Police also found that the mobile number used to place the order had been obtained using forged identity documents, indicating that the suspects had taken elaborate steps to conceal their identities before executing the crime. Later, examination of call detail records, location mapping and sustained field enquiries first led investigators to Vishnu Garden in west Delhi and later to Multan Nagar in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut, where the suspects were believed to have links. "Following extensive local verification and discreet enquiries, police arrested Kartik (20) and Kavaljeet (23), both residents of Meerut. During interrogation, the duo initially attempted to mislead investigators but later admitted to their involvement after being confronted with technical evidence," the DCP said. Based on their disclosure, police recovered the car allegedly used in the robbery and 1,100 Euros, part of the looted foreign currency. Police said Kartik is a Class 8 dropout and runs a mobile phone store on Bagpat Road in Meerut, while Kavaljeet, who studied up to Class 12, works as a security guard at a dairy booth in the same area. Neither have any previous criminal involvement. Police suspect more people were involved in planning and executing the robbery, and efforts are underway to trace the remaining accused and recover the rest of the looted foreign currency. PTI BM ARB ARB