In a major breakthrough, the Goshamahal Police arrested three accused persons involved in an interstate spice trading fraud and criminal breach of trust case involving black cardamom worth ₹43 lakhs.
The arrested accused have been identified as:
➤ Mohammed Imran (36) a private employee at Al Kaleem Spices and resident of Banjara Hills
➤ Vinod Kumar Bhati (51) businessman and resident of Begum Bazar
➤ Sanjay Kumar Bhati (56) businessman and resident of Ramkoti
Police seized three mobile phones allegedly used in the offence, including a Samsung Galaxy A54, Redmi Note 5 Pro and OnePlus Nord CE2.
According to investigators, the accused, along with absconding accused Syeda Mahina Fatima and others, targeted outstation spice traders using fake cheque deposit slips and false payment assurances to obtain goods without making payments.
Police said the gang allegedly cheated Bijay Kumar Rai of M/s Agro Future, Sikkim, by inducing him to dispatch two tons of black cardamom worth ₹43 lakhs to Hyderabad. The consignment reportedly arrived at Cherlapally Railway Station on May 9, 2026, where the accused took delivery of the goods.
Investigators revealed that the black cardamom stock was later sold in Begum Bazar for around ₹30 lakhs.
During interrogation, police recovered WhatsApp chats, transport documents, cheque details and cash deposit receipts that reportedly confirmed the conspiracy and linked the accused to similar fraud cases.
The arrested accused were produced before the court and remanded to judicial custody, while efforts are underway to trace and arrest the remaining absconding accused, including Syeda Mahina Fatima, Nithin Agarwal, Mirza Suleman Baig and Mohd Saleem.
Police stated that further investigation is in progress to identify additional victims and financial transactions connected to the fraud network.
