Times News NetworkPanchkula: Police have arrested two foreign nationals in connection with a cyber fraud case involving the cheating of a retired central govt officer of Rs 13.1 lakh.According to officials, the Cyber Crime Police Station arrested a Zimbabwe national who had come to India on student visa and a Nigerian national who was staying on medical visa. Both were allegedly involved in creating fake online identities to lure victims.Police said the accused posed as women from the United Kingdom on WhatsApp and convinced the complainant to invest in a fictitious pharmaceutical business, promising lucrative returns. The victim, a 63‑year‑old resident of Panchkula, lodged a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Portal on Feb 20, 2026, after realizing he had been duped.He stated that in Dec 2025 he came in contact with a woman on Facebook who later continued communication through WhatsApp. Gaining his trust, she introduced another person claiming to be her relative, who persuaded him to invest.Between Dec 2025 and Feb 2026, the complainant transferred Rs 13.1 lakh into multiple bank accounts but received neither products nor profits.DCP, Crime and Traffic Amrinder Singh said a police team led by SHO Yudhveer Singh and SI Jagmeet Singh traced the suspects to Bahadurgarh. They arrested Tapiwa, a citizen of Zimbabwe, and Kenneth, a citizen of Nigeria. Mobile phones and SIM cards used in the fraud were recovered.Police Commissioner Pankaj Nain confirmed that both accused had used fake UK‑based identities to communicate with the victim. The embassies of Nigeria and Zimbabwe have been informed. During interrogation, the name of another co‑accused surfaced, and police teams are conducting raids to arrest him. The two arrested men have been remanded to five days of police custody.
