New Delhi, Oct 12 (IANS) Five people, including three Nigerians, were arrested for swindling people of millions of rupees in a lottery scam, police said Monday.
According to police, Nigerians Sylvester Jackson Aigboh, Odibo Ahabua, Ukato Young Ben and their Indian accomplices Farizul Haq and Naresh Kumar would make phone calls or send text messages to people telling them that they have won lottery in Britain.

The victims were then asked to submit an amount in bank accounts opened on fake identities.

The arrests led to detection of 26 bank accounts, seizures of 11 mobile phones, three laptops, a motorcycle bearing fake vehicle registration and Rs.100,500 in cash.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) N.S. Bundela said the scam was unearthed accidentally as Haq and Kumar were caught during a routine traffic drive last month.

“They were caught riding without helmets. Haq tried to disguise his identity and disclosed himself as Raj Verma but our men got suspicious as the vehicle was registered in the name of Anil Kumar. Their search led to recovery of two fake PAN cards and driving licenses,” Bundela said.

“The duo during their interrogation revealed that they made the fake cards for opening bank accounts for their Nigerian associates. We then conducted series of searches and arrested three Nigerians from Chattarpur in south Delhi Saturday,” he said.

Police said the accused cheated people from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Delhi and Rajasthan.

The victims were asked to deposit money in accounts of Delta Solutions, A.N. Internationals, Aakash Bansal, Brand Tech International, Sumit Internationals and Atlanta Enterprises.

The gang would ask for money on the pretext of providing the victims clearance that they were not involved in terrorist activities or drug trade and the income tax department cases, the police said.