Iranian national held for posing as intelligence agent, looting foreigners

An Iranian national has been arrested for allegedly impersonating as an intelligence agent and looting foreigners visiting India on the pretext of checking their bags on suspicion of carrying drugs, police said on Sunday.

An Iranian national has been arrested for allegedly impersonating as an intelligence agent and looting foreigners visiting India on the pretext of checking their bags on suspicion of carrying drugs, police said on Sunday. The accused has been identified as 46-year-old Hossein Rezafard Ahmad, who resides in Lajpat Nagar in southeast Delhi. He came to India on May 21 on a medical visa, they said.

After coming to India, he befriended two others who are currently absconding. The trio targeted vulnerable foreign nationals coming to the national capital on a medical visa. The accused used to track the movement of those who visited hospitals and then followed them, police said.

According to police, Ahmed was arrested following a complaint filed by a Sudanese national at Lajpat Nagar police station on June 16. The foreign national had come to India on a medical visa last month. He alleged that he along with his wife was returning home from a hospital in Greater Kailash when suddenly three people came in a car and stopped them.

Thereafter, they introduced themselves as officials from the intelligence agency and started searching the victim's bag. ''After searching the bag, the accused fled away from the spot. When the complainant looked into his handbag, he found that currency, including Rs 50,000, USD 6500, and some Sudanese Pound, was missing. ''Accordingly, a case under section 379 (punishment for theft) of the Indian Penal Code was registered at Lajpat Nagar police station and investigation of the case was taken up,'' a senior police officer said.

The CCTV footage of the cameras installed near the place of the incident was analyzed and a suspected car was identified. When the owner of the car was contacted, he said he had sold the vehicle around three months ago to one Nawab. On reaching Nawab's last address, it was found that he had already left Gurgaon. Then Nawab's mobile number was put on surveillance, the officer added.

''... the team finally succeeded in arresting Nawab’s co-associate Ahmad and he was taken into police custody,'' Esha Pandey, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) said.

During the investigation, Ahmed confessed to his crime, and USD 2,000, 4,000 Sudanese Pound, 28,000 Iranian Riyal, 200 Saudi Riyal, 5,000 INR, and a car used in the commission of the crime were seized from his possession, she said. Police said efforts have been taken to trace the associates of the Iranian nation. 

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