A 39-year-old man named Richard Tiplang Swer, residing in Wahingdoh, has been apprehended by the Meghalaya police for allegedly posing as an IB (Intelligence Bureau) Officer from the Ministry of Home Affairs and swindling 38 individuals seeking employment. The arrest was made on Thursday, according to Shillong city SP Vivek Syiem, who provided the information to PTI. Law enforcement authorities conducted a search at Swer’s residence in Wahingdoh, resulting in the seizure of various items such as a vehicle equipped with a siren and VIP beacon light, a mobile phone, a laptop, and several documents. Two separate cases have been registered against Swer, with one at Mawlai police station and the other at Lumdiengjri police station.
According to the SP, a complaint was filed on May 16 by an individual who had fallen victim to Swer’s deceitful scheme. Swer had portrayed himself as an IB Officer from the Ministry of Home Affairs, promising job opportunities at the Secretariat in Shillong. He instructed the complainant to collect money from interested candidates based on their qualifications. The complainant managed to gather an amount totaling Rs 80 lakh from 38 individuals and handed it over to Swer. However, when the job seekers realized that they had been duped and did not receive any employment as promised, Swer disappeared, evading the complainant.
Another complaint was filed at Lumdiengjri police station on May 22. The complainant alleged that Swer had impersonated an officer from the Police Special Branch and offered job placements within the Police Department. However, Swer demanded a payment of Rs 1 lakh from non-matriculate applicants and Rs 50,000 from matriculate applicants as a prerequisite. The complainant shared this information with friends, and one of them paid an advance amount of Rs 50,000 to Swer through his driver in Motphran, Shillong, in March 2023.
Authorities have urged anyone who has fallen victim to this impersonator to promptly file a First Information Report (FIR) at their nearest police station.
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