Accused used online platform to post updates while on the run, leading investigators to location in Pune district. After committing the crime, the accused vanished without a trace. However, by closely monitoring his social media activity, police were able to track him down to a remote hotel in Jejuri, Pune.
The accused, Sameer Kamble, with the Nagpada police
The Nagpada police have arrested a Kalyan-based man for allegedly duping a man of Rs 57 lakh in a Forex scam. After committing the crime, the accused vanished without a trace. However, by closely monitoring his social media activity, police were able to track him down to a remote hotel in Jejuri, Pune.
The complainant, a 38-year-old resident of Nagpada, told police that he had transferred Rs 57 lakh to an agent, who then forwarded the amount to the accused, Sameer Kamble, 37, via an online transaction for the purpose of currency exchange into US dollars. Kamble allegedly handed over a bundle that appeared to contain US currency notes but was later found to include only two genuine one-dollar notes placed at the top and bottom, while the rest were merely blank papers cut to the size of currency notes.
The accused handed over the bundle to the agent, who failed to realise it was merely scrap paper until the victim attempted to count the notes. However, by the time both the agent and victim realised, Kamble had already disappeared. On May 4, the victim approached the police, prompting an investigation. Initially, Kamble was untraceable — he was neither at his workplace in Pydhonie nor his residence in Kalyan. His family members and co-workers provided no useful information to the police.
The investigation team, led by PSI Yogesh Khairavkar was initially clueless about Kamble’s whereabouts. However, they soon discovered his social media accounts. Kamble was fairly active on Instagram and Facebook, frequently sharing updates from various locations — particularly his farmhouse in Raigad district. In one post, he had even shared a photo of the farmhouse with a location tag and the caption “For Sale.”
A police team was dispatched to the farmhouse but found no sign of Kamble. The property offered no immediate clues. “We reviewed CCTV footage from nearby areas and spotted Kamble visiting the farmhouse a day before our arrival. He had come with his family but left shortly after,” said PSI Khairavkar.
“In the footage, we identified his car and noted the vehicle registration number, which helped us track his movements. Aware that we were on his trail, he kept his phone switched off and communicated with his family only through internet-based calls. Since he was constantly on the move in his car, we eventually traced him to a hotel in Jejuri, Pune.” In an attempt to conceal his identity, Kamble checked into the hotel under a friend’s name. However, a CCTV camera in the hotel’s parking lot captured footage of both him and his car. Acting on this, the police arrested Kamble on Monday, between 3 am and 4 am.
During interrogation, Kamble revealed that he had been involved in the forex business for the past 15 years and was well-versed in its technicalities and loopholes. “The accused has no prior criminal record, but his motive stemmed from a long-standing debt he was unable to repay. He was looking for a lump sum, and once he received the money from the complainant, he used it to clear his dues. We are still in the process of recovering the victim’s funds,” added PSI Khairavkar.
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