4 Indian-origin men accused of scamming elderly millionaire in Scotland

London, Jan 3 (IANS) A group of five people, including four Indian-origin men, have been accused of running a fraudulent scheme in Scotland through which they scammed an elderly millionaire out of her fortune.

Mukesh Vippanapelli (41), Vageesan Sunmugaraja (50), Sunil Theyath (39), and Umar Mohammed (39), appeared at Airdrie Sheriff Court recently, Scottish TV channel STV news reported.

All of them, including a woman, Hafeeza Samreen (34), face a single charge of being involved with a fraudulent scheme, and were due to appear in the court again.

The report did not mention about the modus operandi of the gang, but said that an elderly millionaire victim from South Lanarkshire had a seven-figure sum stolen between May and August 2023.

The five of them made no plea, and were committed for further examination and remanded in custody, the news channel reported.

They were arrested as part of a joint ongoing probe into “significant fraud” by Police Scotland and policing partners in Essex, London and Eastbourne.

Police Scotland officers were also assisted by partners from the National Crime Agency’s National Economic Crime Centre and colleagues from other police forces.

The arrests took place in Eastbourne, Stansted, Dagenham and East Ham in London.

Two other men, aged 23 and 28, were released, and will be appearing at court at a later date.