A Nigerian man, Patrick Eneugwe Chukulube, has been arrested for involvement in alleged cheating of a senior citizen of Rs 12.85 lakh (approximately N7,106,020.32) in India, Republic World reports.

Chukulube and Muzammil Pawaskar had promised an undisclosed senior citizen attractive returns on investment into a business to provide the raw material for COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing, a Mumbai cyber police official said on Tuesday.

According to the complaint filed by the senior citizen with central region cyber police station on October 27, he had received an email from the accused, who posed as London-based manufacturers of a COVID-19 vaccine, the official said.

“The duo told the victim they were looking for an agent to source raw material for the vaccine from India. He was promised 60 per cent commission. The victim was asked to deposit Rs 12.85 lakh in various accounts, which he did. The duo then stopped all contact with the victim, who realised he had been duped,” the official stated.

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The arrested persons, a 34-year-old Nigerian Chukulube and his accomplice a 26-year-old Pawasakar are currently staying in Panvel in Navi Mumbai.

“We have seized nine mobile phones, two SIM cards, a passport with a fake name, from them. We believe they have cheated more people using this modus operandi. They have also cheated a Chennai-based woman of Rs 20 lakh in this manner. We are probing,” the official said.