A case of cheating to the tune of nearly ₹14.72 lakh has come to light after four youths were allegedly duped on the pretext of securing well-paid jobs in Canada. The accused, linked to an overseas placement company, allegedly collected lakhs of rupees from the victims by promising them jobs as pharmacist assistants in Canada.
According to the police, one of the victims, Mohammed Sabir Hussain (37), was even sent to Canada on a visitor visa with assurances that it would later be converted into a work visa. However, after reaching Canada, he found that neither any agent was present nor was there any job arrangement. After wandering for 13 days and spending money from his own pocket, Hussain returned to India. He later lodged a complaint at the Bangur Nagar Police Station in Mumbai.
Based on his complaint, the police have registered a case against five accused — Arif Sheikh, Aksha Sarang, Lubna Sheikh, Dimple, and Deepender Singh — and have launched a search to trace them.
Police said Hussain works at a medical store and supports his family with his earnings. In 2022, a travel agent known to him, Reyan Abdul Nabi Jahagirdar, allegedly approached him with an offer for a job in Canada. He was later introduced to representatives of a Mumbai-based company, Aeris Overseas. The company’s officials, Arif Sheikh and Aksha Sarang, reportedly claimed they could arrange a job for him as a pharmacist assistant in Regina city of Saskatchewan province in Canada.
The victim was shown an offer letter stating a salary of 23.30 Canadian dollars per hour, along with accommodation and other benefits. Trusting the offer, Hussain paid ₹3.68 lakh in instalments for visa processing and other formalities.
In November 2024, the company completed the travel process and booked him a ticket to Toronto, even though the offer letter mentioned a job in Regina. The accused assured him that their agent would receive him at Toronto airport and make further arrangements. However, after reaching Toronto, Hussain found that no agent had arrived to assist him. Even the hotel accommodation promised by the company was not arranged.
Left with no option, he had to stay in different hotels at his own expense and kept searching for the promised job. Despite repeated attempts, he could not contact the company officials as they stopped responding to his calls. After struggling for nearly 13 days, he realised that he had been cheated and decided to return to India at his own cost.
During the course of the inquiry, it also came to light that the same company allegedly duped three more individuals — Syed Shaheryar Shafeeq Nazim, Pratik Praful Parakh, and Nikhil Kailash Patil — by promising overseas jobs and collecting around ₹3.68 lakh each from them.
The Bangur Nagar Police have registered a case against the accused and have initiated further investigation into the matter.