Werewolf cops organized a gang in the resort state of Goa in India, which first gains confidence in foreign tourists, and then detains and robs them: takes away valuables, cash and credit cards with pin codes. At least one case is known.
According to the Indian newspaper Hindustan Times, swindlers robbed a Japanese tourist for an amount equivalent to 83.5 thousand rubles. However, a robbery complaint from a traveler came to the local police station after the Japanese consulate issued an advisory warning to its citizens visiting Goa to “remain aware and vigilant of any activities of criminal groups that target them and involve them in possession of prohibited substances, and then extorted money from them.”
What details of the incident are known? The robbery took place on December 28, 2022. Two people ingratiated themselves with the Japanese, introduced themselves as policemen, and “processed” him for six days. “We drank together in Anjuna. After that, we went to the house of Romi's father (Romi is one of the suspects). After that, I asked them to take me to a hostel in Anjuna. We agreed to meet in front of the hostel tomorrow (December 23) at 15:00 in the afternoon,” he recalled.
The next day (December 23), the scammers continued to hang out with the tourist and even lent him a scooter. In the following days, they also met. However, on December 28, a group of newly made friends ran into two people in civilian clothes who identified themselves as policemen. Under an unknown pretext, “law enforcement officers” detained a foreigner and fined him. “Civil-clothes policemen confiscated my mobile phone, took out all the contents of my backpack and took my Japanese yen (150 thousand yen, i.e. 83.5 thousand rubles at the current exchange rate). I kept them in my bag,” the victim said. The tourist also claimed that he was forced to provide his credit cards and PIN codes for them. All the money from the plastic was removed, and the Japanese were recommended to return to their homeland. At the same time, the traveler's new acquaintances immediately disappeared and stopped communicating.
The case has received publicity only recently, since the resort state police said that they allegedly did not receive any complaints from Japanese tourists. But when it came to the consulate, the Goa police began a real search for criminals. It was soon established that the gang consisted of four people, two were already being investigated, and the identities of the others, who posed as policemen, had not yet been established.
“The Anjuna Police Station registered the complaint and an investigation was launched. We are investigating a case of fraud involving a Japanese citizen. We are working hard to collect all the necessary information and evidence. I am personally watching this case,” said North Goa police spokesman Nidhin Valsan.
Russian travelers traveling to the popular resort state also need to be vigilant.
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