Counterfeit currency: Foreign national held, fake dollars seized
The fraudster contacted people on phone, would tell them they had won international lotteries
ISLAMABAD:
The Margalla police have detained a foreign national for defrauding citizens through a lottery scam.
Henry Thomson, a Nigerian national, was arrested by the police after Hashim Khan lodged a complaint saying the man deprived him of $1,500 after claiming that Khan had won a multi-dollar international lottery.
Thomson was arrested from a private building in F-9 Markaz.
Khan, a resident of Kohat, in his application stated that he received a call from an unknown number and the caller told him that he has won $300,000 in an international lottery.
The complainant said that the caller asked him to pay $1,500 for his winnings to be released.
Khan, a retired government employee, handed over the sum to Thomson in a private building, and in return, he was asked to wait for two weeks before he got the prize money.
Khan apparently did not realise that he would have had to participate in the lottery before winning it, said a police official.
After two weeks, Thomson contacted him again and demanded an additional $1,500, which made Khan suspicious.
Khan did not pay him and instead contacted the police, who raided the building and arrested the swindler and seized counterfeit dollars and printing equipment including machinery, chemicals and ink which were used to print the ‘funny money’.
Investigation Officer Gul Khan said that a First Information Report has been registered against
the swindler, charging him with fraud, forgery, counterfeiting currency, and other crimes.
He said that the police have also obtained two-day physical remand of the suspect and further investigation is under way.
When asked if Thomson was part of a gang or was acting alone, the officer said that information will be shared once the investigation is completed. “It seems a gang might be involved, but we have to interrogate him further to confirm this,” he added.
When contacted, Margalla Police acting SHO Muhammad Irshad confirmed that a foreign national has been arrested. He said that people should be wary of strangers who make offer them ‘free’ cash or other prizes.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 28th, 2014.
The Margalla police have detained a foreign national for defrauding citizens through a lottery scam.
Henry Thomson, a Nigerian national, was arrested by the police after Hashim Khan lodged a complaint saying the man deprived him of $1,500 after claiming that Khan had won a multi-dollar international lottery.
Thomson was arrested from a private building in F-9 Markaz.
Khan, a resident of Kohat, in his application stated that he received a call from an unknown number and the caller told him that he has won $300,000 in an international lottery.
The complainant said that the caller asked him to pay $1,500 for his winnings to be released.
Khan, a retired government employee, handed over the sum to Thomson in a private building, and in return, he was asked to wait for two weeks before he got the prize money.
Khan apparently did not realise that he would have had to participate in the lottery before winning it, said a police official.
After two weeks, Thomson contacted him again and demanded an additional $1,500, which made Khan suspicious.
Khan did not pay him and instead contacted the police, who raided the building and arrested the swindler and seized counterfeit dollars and printing equipment including machinery, chemicals and ink which were used to print the ‘funny money’.
Investigation Officer Gul Khan said that a First Information Report has been registered against
the swindler, charging him with fraud, forgery, counterfeiting currency, and other crimes.
He said that the police have also obtained two-day physical remand of the suspect and further investigation is under way.
When asked if Thomson was part of a gang or was acting alone, the officer said that information will be shared once the investigation is completed. “It seems a gang might be involved, but we have to interrogate him further to confirm this,” he added.
When contacted, Margalla Police acting SHO Muhammad Irshad confirmed that a foreign national has been arrested. He said that people should be wary of strangers who make offer them ‘free’ cash or other prizes.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 28th, 2014.