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British national `dupes' trader in Cuttack

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`Illegal' transaction made through Internet

CUTTACK: A British national has duped a Cuttack-based businessman of lakhs of rupees. Under the false promise of arranging a huge foreign investment one Jessica Nneka has duped the city-based garment trader Tony Wallis.

The state crime branch police have gathered some prima facie evidence over the illegal transactions on the Internet. The police have also seized huge fake US currency notes coated with some unknown chemicals from the possession of Wallis, which he claims to have received from an agent of Jessica in Mumbai.

"After conducting preliminary enquiries, we have gathered some prima facie evidences into the entire illegal transaction made through Internet in which one Jessica Nneka of England has allegedly duped a young businessman Tony Wallis of Pension Lane in the city. The case has been handed over to the CBI for conducting further enquiry and take appropriate action," said the crime branch SP Debendranath Satapathy.

Crime branch sources said Wallis dealing with readymade garments, somehow established contact with Jessica through Internet. Encouraging Wallis to expand his business, Jessica promised to arrange some foreign investment for him. In return, Wallis also paid around Rs. 5 lakhs to Jessica in US currency.

Quoting the trader, crime branch sources said the foreigner had taken away nearly Rs. 5 lakhs from Wallis for arranging the investment. Investigations revealed that Wallis had deposited around Rs. 1.5 lakh in the account of Jessica at ICICI bank, crime branch sources added.

After getting familiarity through net chatting and Emails, Jessica reportedly invited Wallis to collect some US currency notes from her agents in Mumbai. Accordingly, Wallis met one Bob Andy and some other foreigners in Mumbai and New Delhi who claim to be the agents of Jessica. Taking some more money from Wallis, Bob, another British national had reportedly handed over a box containing chemical coated fake US dollars to him in Mumbai.

"Wallis was told that after reaching Cuttack, he would be informed how to remove the chemical from the currency notes to make them real. But when Wallis contacted Bob after reaching Cuttack, the agent said he would not disclose the trick unless an amount of $ 35,000 is paid to him. Following which Wallis reported the matter to crime branch police," Satapathy said.

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