Bhubaneswar: The Crime Branch of Odisha police has arrested three persons, including two Nigerians, in connection with an investment fraud.

The Crime Branch (CB) officials arrested Christoper Chizobam and Nnamadi Stanley Mbamalu, both Nigerians, and Arati Gautam of New Delhi from the national capital.

The cyber fraudsters had duped a person from Odisha of Rs 2.65 crore in the guise of investment in saffron business, said the Crime Branch.

According to the CB, a fraudster impersonating as a former IAS officer and a serving a World Bank employee had contacted the victim through social media in December last year.

The fraudster persuaded the victim to get involved in a project to supply saffron to the World Bank headquarters.

The cyber criminal then introduced another person to the victim by identifying him as the regional manager of Organics Merchandise, a marketing agent for saffron farmers in India, added the CB.

The victim, who was unaware of the plot, had transferred Rs 2.65 crore to the bank accounts of the fraudsters as part of the business.

When the fraudsters sought more money, the victim realized that he had been cheated in the guise of saffron business. He had lodged a complaint in this regard with the Cyber Crime unit of the Crime Branch.

The CB had registered a case under various Sections of the IPC and IT Act-2000 and launched a probe.

A CB team first arrested Arati Gautam in New Delhi. During interrogation, it was found that she had opened several bank accounts in her name and shared those with the cyber fraudsters for transfer of the fraudulently-obtained money.

The CB subsequently nabbed the two Nigerians and seized six mobile phones, two laptops, 10 SIM cards, a dongle, 10 bank account passbooks, two debit cards and an Aadhar card from them.

The gang was involved in a series of cyber crimes in at least 10 states across the country.