Panchkula police arrests two foreign nationals in Rs 13.1-lakh cyber fraud

3 min readChandigarhJul 16, 2026 09:16 PM IST

Police said the case was registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station, Panchkula, on February 20 this year after the complainant lodged a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. (File Photo)

Panchkula police has arrested two foreign nationals in connection with an alleged Rs 13.10-lakh cyber fraud in which a 63-year-old retired central government officer was duped on the pretext of investing in a pharmaceutical business that promised three-times returns.

The accused have been identified as Tapiva, a Zimbabwean national who was staying in India on a student visa, and Kenneth, a Nigerian national who was in the country on a medical visa. Both were arrested from Bahadurgarh following a technical investigation.

According to police, the two were produced before a court, which granted them five days’ police remand. During the remand, investigators recovered 11 mobile phones and seven passports from their possession. After completion of the remand, the accused were sent to judicial custody.

Police said the case was registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station, Panchkula, on February 20 this year after the complainant lodged a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.

According to the complaint, the victim came in contact with a woman, who claimed to be a resident of the United Kingdom, on Facebook in December 2025. The conversations later shifted to WhatsApp, where she allegedly gained his trust through calls and messages before introducing him to another person, purportedly her relative.

Police said the complainant was persuaded to invest in a pharmaceutical business with the assurance that the company would itself purchase and sell products and provide him three-times returns on his investment.

DCP (Crime and Traffic) Amarinder Singh said 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 returns. After realising that he had been cheated, he reported the matter through the National Cyber Helpline (1930), following which an FIR was registered.

Story continues below this ad

The arrests were made by a team led by Cyber Crime Police Station SHO Yudhveer Singh and investigating officer Sub-Inspector Jagmeet Singh.

Police said the investigation has revealed that the Zimbabwean accused was staying in India on a student visa while the Nigerian accused was on a medical visa. The role of other persons allegedly involved in the fraud is being investigated.

Police Commissioner Pankaj Nain appealed to the public not to transfer money to unknown persons offering investment or business opportunities with unusually high returns through social media or WhatsApp without proper verification.