Aurangabad scrap trader duped of Rs 19.4 lakh

AURANGABAD: A scrap trader from Aurangabad city has been duped of Rs 19.4 lakh by five unidentified people from Mumbai and Gujarat.
An offence of cheating and criminal breach of trust has been registered at the Jinsi police station against the suspects.
According to the complainant, Mohammed Mazhar Khan (48), a resident of Silk Mills Colony, received a call on December 15 from an unknown person pretending to be an agent of a metal scrap dealer.
The suspect said he has about 300 tonne of scrap at one of the locations in Gujarat and offered the scrap at a cheaper rate. The suspect also sent some images of metallic scrap to Khan over Whatsapp, following which, he discussed the offer with his business partner Aref Patel.
Convinced that the offer was profitable, Patel and Khan sent two trucks to Chikhali in Gujarat to load the scrap material.During making the deal, it was decided the amount would be transferred only after the scrap was loaded in the trucks and ready to leave for Aurangabad.
Assistant inspector Sainath Gite said, “The traders were convinced the trucks were loaded with scrap and set to leave for Aurangabad so they deposited the amount in the given bank account, but the suspects fled with the money.”
He said due to absence of an e-way bill and GST receipt, the traders were forced to unload the scrap material. The trader lodged a complaint after the accused stopped responding to calls.tnn