new delhi: Delhi Police has claimed to have busted a transnational cheating syndicate operating in Delhi-NCR with the arrest of six people, including two Nigerians, an official said on Sunday.
Police said that the accused were defrauding Indian citizens through fake lotteries, gifts, and prize schemes. The gang, active for several years, lured unsuspecting victims into transferring large sums of money to fraudulently created bank accounts in exchange for non-existent rewards.
The accused have been identified as Shahid Raza (45), Shahrukh Khan (23), Vikas (25), and Rakesh alias Lalu (22). They worked with two Nigerians — Shedrack Onainor (29) and Sunday John alias Liberty (40).
Vikram Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch), said the syndicate’s operation came to light after specific inputs were received on July 7 regarding a group of fraudsters operating out of Delhi, cheating people through fraudulent online lottery and gift schemes.
“Acting on the input, a team launched a surveillance operation. During the operation, Shahid Raza was apprehended from Punjabi Bagh in Delhi, while in possession of Rs 3.63 lakh in cash, nine ATM cards and a mobile phone containing incriminating data. His interrogation revealed a deep-rooted network involving both Indian and foreign nationals of Nigerian origin,” said the DCP.
Subsequent raids led to the arrest of Shedrack Onainor from Khanpur in Delhi, while he was allegedly collecting the cheated money. Onainor was found to have been illegally residing in India since 2018. He overstayed his medical visa. Incriminating digital evidence was also recovered from his possession.
Based on disclosures made by Raza and Onainor, further arrests followed — Shahrukh Khan, Raza’s son-in-law; Vikas and Rakesh, brothers from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh; and Nigerian national Sunday John, who had overstayed his business visa since 2024.
“Teams seized multiple mobile phones, Aadhaar and PAN cards, cheque books, passbooks, and other items linked to the cheating
racket,” he added.
Sharing the modus operandi of the accused, police said that they adopted a well-coordinated system. “The Nigerian handlers — Onainor and Sunday — acted as masterminds, luring victims through fake online lottery and prize announcements. Once a victim transferred money into designated accounts, the Indian accomplices managed its withdrawal and delivery,” the DCP said.
Shahid Raza and Shahrukh Khan handled cash operations. Raza withdrew funds using ATM cards and delivered cash to the Nigerian accused after retaining a 15 per cent commission. Shahrukh, meanwhile, managed UPI-based transfers using online applications and oversaw the activation and operation of fake accounts.
Rakesh and his brother Vikas played a key role in account fabrication. They used forged Aadhaar documents with updated Delhi-based addresses and fake SIM cards. They opened nearly 20 bank accounts under the name of Vikas across different banks. These accounts were later used to route fraudulent transactions. Another friend allegedly facilitated the Aadhaar updates without valid documents or verification, DCP added.
Shahrukh and Shahid managed digital fund transfers using ATM cards and UPI IDs, handing over the scammed money to Shedrack and Sunday John at various spots in Delhi. Police seized cash, phones, and forged documents.
The accused include Indian operatives and Nigerian nationals, all now in judicial custody. Further investigation is underway. with agency inputs