Further facing charges of ‘wash wash scam’
Morung Express News
Dimapur | July 29
A 35 year-old foreign national, who was arrested in Dimapur for travelling with forged documents, is now being investigated for suspected involvement in the infamous ‘wash wash scam.’
The accused— Michael Philip, Ugandan national, was initially detained at the railway station on July 26 after his travel visa was found to be doubtful. He was arrested the next day after the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), Kolkata confirmed his visa to be forged.
In the investigation that followed, the police discovered materials from the accused that roused suspicion of a conspiracy to commit financial crime.
According to a press release from the Dimapur police, “During the preliminary investigation the individual was also found to be in possession of 4000 numbers of black paper in the size of foreign currency notes, 3 (three) bottles containing suspected chemicals clearly indicating his involvement in ‘black dollar/wash wash scam,’ which was corroborated by the additional seizure of instructional manuals of converting the black paper into US dollars and Euro currency notes.”
The modus operandi of this scam involves fraudsters or con-artists using currency-size dyed papers to swindle money from targeted victims. As per the Dimapur police, the victims are convinced into believing that the dyed papers are real currency “that had been dyed to avoid detection by Law Enforcement Agency (LEA) and can be brought back to original dollar bills if treated with a particular chemical.”
Victims, who fall for the scam, end up exchanging the dyed papers alongwith supposed chemicals to remove the dye with real currency.
The Dimapur police further told The Morung Express that the accused was based in Delhi and had come to Dimapur by train on July 26. While his visa was being verified, he was lodged at a hotel from where he was arrested on July 27 after confirmation from the FRRO, Kolkata. His travel passport was also being verified with the Ugandan Embassy.
