An Iranian woman was arrested by the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport police on Thursday for allegedly cheating a 70-year-old Indian-origin American man of $700 at the Delhi airport. Her 55-year-old husband, who was involved in the incident, is currently on the run.

What Happened at the Airport

According to police, the accused woman, 52-year-old Fatemah Akbari, and her husband Mojtaba Zolfaghari, targeted the victim, Baldev Singh, last Saturday. Singh, a US citizen of Indian origin, was about to board a flight to America when the Iranian couple, accompanied by a child, started talking to him near Departure Gate 7.

How They Tricked the Victim

The couple told Singh they were heading to Dubai and asked if he could show some Indian currency to their child. Singh willingly gave them a ₹50 note. Then they asked if he had US dollars. Singh took out nine $100 bills from his bag. The couple briefly took the money, claiming they wanted to show it to their child.

Additional Commissioner of Police (IGI Airport) Usha Rangnani said, “The suspects then inquired if he carried US dollars. Singh displayed nine 100 US dollar notes from his bag. The couple briefly held the cash, pretending to show it to the child, before returning the bundle.”

However, Singh later discovered that the couple had swapped the notes. Only the top and bottom bills in the bundle were real. In between, they had inserted five ₹500 Indian currency notes, and seven of his original $100 bills were missing.

Police Action

After realizing he had been cheated, Singh approached the police. A case was filed, and investigations began. Police traced Akbari to a guest house in the Saket area of Delhi and arrested her during a raid. However, her husband managed to escape.

ACP Rangnani confirmed the arrest and said the search is on for the man. The couple holds refugee status under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).