“The suspect promised to deliver copper scrap at a much cheaper rate than the prices quoted by others. Sometime in 2024, the suspect and his son also took the complainant to Dubai and Tanzania to gain his trust. The suspects promised that the consignments of scrap copper will be delivered to the complainant through Mundra port in Gujarat. For a certain quantity of copper scrap, the suspect sought a payment of Rs 3.8 crores to a bank account in Dubai, which the complainant paid. However, the material as promised was never delivered and the suspects went incommunicado,” said Inspector Shashikant Chavan of Khadak police station.

As the probe progressed, police found that another trader from Parvati Darshan had been cheated of Rs 90 lakh in a similar manner by the same suspects.  

“During the probe we got information that Bhupendra Singh was coming to Kolkata. A team was sent to Kolkata and he was arrested on November 20. After seeking his transit remand from a competent court in Kolkata he was brought to Pune and a court here has remanded him to police custody till November 29. We are making an appeal to traders to approach us if they have been cheated by the same set of suspects and in this manner. We have launched a search for Bhupendra Singh’s son,” Inspector Chavan added.

Pune City Police have arrested a 51-year-old man from Kolkata for allegedly cheating two Pune-based copper traders of a total of Rs 4.7 crore by promising to supply them cheap copper scrap from Tanzania. The suspect, police said, claimed to have offices in Dubai and processing units in Tanzania, and even took the traders to these locations to win their trust.

A case was registered at Khadak police station recently by a Raviwar Peth–based trader dealing in copper utensils and artefacts. In late 2023, he was introduced to a man who identified himself as Bhupendra Singh, claiming to be a scrap trader with an office in Malad, Mumbai. Singh allegedly told the complainant that his company operated an office in Dubai and a scrap processing unit in Tanzania.

“The suspect promised to deliver copper scrap at a much cheaper rate than the prices quoted by others. Sometime in 2024, the suspect and his son also took the complainant to Dubai and Tanzania to gain his trust. The suspects promised that the consignments of scrap copper will be delivered to the complainant through Mundra port in Gujarat. For a certain quantity of copper scrap, the suspect sought a payment of Rs 3.8 crores to a bank account in Dubai, which the complainant paid. However, the material as promised was never delivered and the suspects went incommunicado,” said Inspector Shashikant Chavan of Khadak police station.

As the probe progressed, police found that another trader from Parvati Darshan had been cheated of ₹90 lakh in a similar manner by the same suspects.

“During the probe we got information that Bhupendra Singh was coming to Kolkata. A team was sent to Kolkata and he was arrested on November 20. After seeking his transit remand from a competent court in Kolkata he was brought to Pune and a court here has remanded him to police custody till November 29. We are making an appeal to traders to approach us if they have been cheated by the same set of suspects and in this manner. We have launched a search for Bhupendra Singh’s son,” Inspector Chavan added. By: Express News Service/ Indian Express