Bhatkal: Cashing in on smuggling - Man poses as DRI officer, cheats people


Bhatkal: Cashing in on smuggling - Man poses as DRI officer, cheats people

Yahya Hallare
Daijiworld Media Network - Bhatkal

Bhatkal, Feb 27: A man was arrested on Thursday February 27 for posing as an officer of the directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) and cheating people of their money by telling them that their passports had been blacklisted for smuggling gold.

Mohammed Ashfaque Armar (42), a resident of Bhatkal, allegedly posed as 'DRI officer Ashok Kumar from New Delhi' and cheated people by producing fake documents and identity card. Interestingly, at the end of the day, it was revealed that Ashfaque was in fact an alleged criminal facing charges in his wife's suicide case!

It is said that about 10-15 days back, he approached the Manki police station and showed his documents to sub-inspector Nithyanand Pandith and constable Subramanyam, and claimed that he had been commissioned from DRI's New Delhi head office to check on certain persons whose passports had been blacklisted. He also said that he had names of 30 such persons from Manki and rest from Bhatkal and Murdeshwar.

Ashfaque, posing as officer Ashok Kumar, along with constable Subramanyam then went to the house of Mohammed Quraish Maqdoom Qazi, a resident of Manki, and told him that his passport had been blacklisted as he had brought gold from Dubai illegally. He demanded Rs one lac from Quraish to set things right, and after much negotiation, Quraish paid him his Rs 10,500.

Ashfaque and Subramanyam then visited the house of Huzaif Kadira, also a resident of Manki, and told him the same story and demanded Rs one lac. However, Huzaif denied the charges of smuggling gold from Dubai and said that he had been to the Gulf only once in his lifetime. Ashfaque also showed him a letter as 'proof' to back his claim, but Huzaif was not convinced.

Two days later, Ashfaque called him again for the money and threatened to take action if he did not pay up. Huzaif replied that he would hire an advocate to fight the case, at which Ashfaque grew anxious and told him that there was no necessity for a lawyer as no FIR had been lodged,and that he was ready to compromise. Ashfaque called him again after two days and demanded Rs 50,000, and finally Huzaif settled the matter by paying him Rs 25,000. It is said that out of this amount, Ashfaque paid Rs 3,000 to constable Subramanyam.

Ashfaque, however, was third time unluckly. On Thursday, he met his third potential victim, Munazzir Ahmed of Manki, at a hotel along with Subramanyam, and made the same demands. Munazzir who was not convinced, gathered some people who were at the hotel around him and told them that the DRI officer was demanding money from him. The people asked Ashfaque to produce his identity card. Meanwhile, a person among the crowd, who happened to be from Bhatkal, recognized Ashfaque and said that he was not a DRI officer and in fact was an accused facing charges in the suicide case of his wife.

The public, alarmed by the development gheraoed Ashfaque and the police were informed. He was soon arrested by the Manki police.

On investigation, it came to light that Ashfaque was facing charges of driving his wife to commit suicide back in 2005, and had also allegedly assaulted Qazi Khalifa Jamaat-ul-Muslimeen Maulana Khaja Akrami Madani in 2012, and also the late Abdul Ghani Mohtesham in the year 2007.

The locals allege that PSI Nithyanand and constable Subramanyam are also hand-in-glove with Ashfaque, and that they shared the money that he got from Quraish and Huzaif.

Manki police have registered a case. Ashfaque has been booked under section 420 of the IPC.

  

Top Stories

Comment on this article

  • JNB, Bejai

    Fri, Feb 28 2014

    Home Ministry should appoint a smarter inspector to the Monkey police station.

    Otherwise, tomorrow person like Ajmal Kasab comes and says 'I am CBI director' he himself will offer all logistic support.
    At-least they should know how to read someones face.
    Any revenue official will come in a government provided car with a special logo and he can track the number plate really belongs to government revenue department or no?

    DisAgree [3] Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • Ananth, Udupi

    Fri, Feb 28 2014


    Officials of Manki Police station are equally responsible now. Someone stranger visited their police station, produced false documents, and took the help of constable to rob money from the people. Why do police believe such cheaters without checking his background? It clearly shows that police personnel are not that serious in their duties!!!! Just by looking at the card, one can make out that ID card is duplicated with a lot of mistakes and without security features in it.
    Thanks go to that person among the crowd who recognized this cheater and helped other innocent people about to fall prey.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [13] Reply Report Abuse

  • majid, bangalore

    Fri, Feb 28 2014

    How did this fraudster get details of all the customs/police files to target specific people it seems the police are also taking 80% of his earnings and he is made a scapegoat.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [14] Reply Report Abuse

  • jr,

    Fri, Feb 28 2014

    SI NTIHYANAND PANDIT/CONDUIT IS FIT CASE TO BE RECOGNISED FOR INDIA'S BEST AWARDS WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
    THE CRIMINALS ARE PROTECTED BY AREA POLICE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES FOR WHICH THEY GET HAFTA REGULARLY.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Haneefyousuf, mangalore

    Fri, Feb 28 2014

    Police chore Bhai Bhai!

    DisAgree [2] Agree [9] Reply Report Abuse

  • OLIVER , MANGALORE

    Fri, Feb 28 2014

    One glance at the ID card shows it is fake.The word dept is misspelt as deptt

    DisAgree [2] Agree [10] Reply Report Abuse

  • smmubashir, bhatkal,dubai

    Fri, Feb 28 2014

    u r wrong brother,come to bhatkal and do some research before commenting this man is thrown out of bhatkal since he murdered his wife, don't make distinction please .

    DisAgree [2] Agree [14] Reply Report Abuse

  • Wilma Peris, Kulshekar, Muscat

    Fri, Feb 28 2014

    Any person comes with an Identity Card and our police believe him? Is it not the duty of the police to verify the credentials of that person? How did he get to know who had smuggled gold from Dubai? This requires thorough investigation.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [11] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rita, Germany

    Fri, Feb 28 2014

    Interesting.The right Person went to the right Police Station.Name of the Police Station suites to the Person.Luck to other People who saved their Money from this criminal.How could he dare to that place to go.He did not fear that People would recognize him.Now he has to Show his identity.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [8] Reply Report Abuse

  • Sudhir, Mangalore

    Thu, Feb 27 2014

    Wait its just 8 month old so called secular congi govt n Karnataka...still more than 4 years left...these are samples...picture abhi baki hai mere dost...samajnewalonko ishara kafi hai!!

    DisAgree [11] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Joseph F. Gonsalves, Bannur, Puttur / Mangalore

    Thu, Feb 27 2014

    Send all Fekus to Jail.
    Murderers to the Gallows.

    DisAgree [8] Agree [8] Reply Report Abuse

  • For Justice, Abu Dhabi / Ubar

    Thu, Feb 27 2014

    Need two hands for even a single clap. Here this 420 fooled(?) or 50/50?) both the S I & the constable N(M)ithyananda!

    Radd janan chatni malpulenna...

    DisAgree [3] Agree [19] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Thu, Feb 27 2014

    Congrats for catching another FEKU...

    DisAgree [9] Agree [44] Reply Report Abuse

  • Abdul Rafiq, Uchila / Dubai

    Thu, Feb 27 2014

    Bhatkal & Kasaragod people are expert in illegal and malpractices. The special police squad has to be deployed to watch these people. Very dangerous.

    DisAgree [16] Agree [38] Reply Report Abuse

  • sundari ashoknagar, Mangalore

    Thu, Feb 27 2014

    This cheater thought that with the help of Manki Police, he can make people manga.Wa Wa how they become so smart? Their smartness should be used for the right things.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [17] Reply Report Abuse

  • Allen, Mangalore

    Thu, Feb 27 2014

    Secular 420 DRI Officer! Well done Bhatkal! Keep it up!!

    DisAgree [8] Agree [20] Reply Report Abuse


Leave a Comment

Title: Bhatkal: Cashing in on smuggling - Man poses as DRI officer, cheats people



You have 2000 characters left.

Disclaimer:

Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Daijiworld.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.

Please note that sending false messages to insult, defame, intimidate, mislead or deceive people or to intentionally cause public disorder is punishable under law. It is obligatory on Daijiworld to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request.

Hence, sending offensive comments using daijiworld will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Daijiworld.com be held responsible.