ACP (DN Nagar division) Dilip Suryavanshi said, “We received complaints from job aspirants who alleged that they had been promised jobs in foreign countries by Cardoz and they paid him amounts varying between Rs 1-3 lakh. Cardoz later started making excuses and fled away after locking his office at Maurya Estate in Oshiwara. We have arrested a woman called Jasmine and another person, Kunal Vaidya, both associates of Cardoz.”

The complainants allege that Cardoz had been running a business by the name of Ninoshka International Services since the past 2 years and had placed advertisements in newspapers inviting applications from job aspirants for the service industry. Dinesh Khillari, a victim, said, “The jobs would vary from mechanic to bartender, cook to nurses. Cardoz had promised placements in US, UK, Canada and Australia and people like us who wanted better jobs had approached him. We were also interviewed by him in his office.” Cardoz even gave them receipts of the amount paid and in some cases showed them forged documents pertaining to the embassies of the concerned countries.

Afzal Shaikh, another victim said, “I had applied for the job of a security officer in UK and Cardoz not only promised me the job after taking Rs 1.5 lakh but also showed me a document from the UK embassy and the Scotland Yard which mentioned that I had been vetted by the two organisations and have been found suitable for working in the UK. The documents looked authentic. After he started giving flimsy excuses about sending me over for the job, I grew suspicious and gathered other aspirants whom I had met at Cardoz’s office.”

“The case shall be transferred to the Economic Offences Wing for investigation,” said Suryavanshi.