Telecom fraud: Mangalorean walks free from Saudi jail after 9 years

[email protected] (CD Network)
April 6, 2014
Ayub_released

Jeddah, Apr 6: Mohammed Ayoob Kannur of Dakshina Kannada district who was in Jeddah jail in Saudi Arabia for more than nine years, has been released. With IFF 's regular follow up, it took 4 months to complete the formalities and he was released and sent to India.

A press released issued by India Fraternity Forum said that Mr Ayoob was in jail for more than nine years, after Saudi Telecom Co (STC) charged him and seven others with very heavy fines, when another Indian who ran illegal international phone call business in the building where they stayed, misusing the telephone line and escaped from Saudi Arabia trapping them all. Since the accused were quite new to the Kingdom being unaware of the illegal business of the guy which made it easy for him to trap them and escape from the Kingdom.

Understanding the miserable plight of these young men and their poor families, India Fraternity Forum took interest in the issue and sought the help and support of Consulate General of India, Jeddah. Forum had set up an adhoc committee, consisting the Welfare coordinator of IFF Karnataka chapter Ashraf Bajpe, IFF Jeddah President Ashraf Murayoor, Mudassar Akkarangadi, Haris Goodinabali and Hussain Jokatte to mobilize the support of generous personalities and to ensure the regular follow up of the case to get the fines imposed on them reduced and to obtain an early release of all the young men in jail.

The families of these young men are very poor and unable to find even their daily bread as those who supported them, have been in jail that made their situation more deplorable. So it was impossible for them to pay the heavy fines charged on them and they had to spend more than nine years in Saudi jails. The families had submitted several memoranda to all the External affairs minister and MPs from Karnataka requesting the support of govt. for their release.  IFF office bearers met the suffering families and updated about the case details, while on vacation as well.

Meanwhile, IFF was able to ensure the support of a Saudi national (he does not wish to publish his name), who was generous and ready to spare his valuable time and made use of his contacts to ensure the release of one among those in jail, Mohammed Ayoub of Kannur village, Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, with payment to STC.

IFF expressed their gratitude to the Consulate General and to the Saudi national for all the support and co-operation extended in this issue. IFF is also grateful for the extended support from KWAR (Karavali Welfare Association, Riyadh), KMYA(Katipalla Muslim Youth Association) and our generous well wishers.

Adhoc committee of IFF, Ashraf Bajpe, Ashraf Moryur, Mudassar Akkarangadi, Haris Goodinabali and Hussain Jokatte - assured the families and relatives that the Forum will continue its relentless efforts to obtain the release of the remaining seven in the jail. However the fine imposed on them is very big and hence they are seeking the whole hearted support of all generous people to contribute to obtain their early release, as they are languishing for 9 years in jail. Those who wish to support the families of these young men may contact Mudassar Akkarangadi – 0500992139 and Ashraf Bajpe 0593101416.

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News Network
December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

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News Network
December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A 34-year-old fruit and vegetable trader in Mangaluru has reportedly lost ₹33.1 lakh after falling victim to an online investment scam run through a fake mobile app.

Police said the scam began in September, when the victim received a link on Facebook. Clicking it connected him to a WhatsApp number, where an unidentified person introduced a high-return investment scheme and instructed him to download an app.

To build trust, the fraudster asked him to invest ₹30,000 on September 24. The trader soon received ₹34,000 as “profit,” convincing him the scheme was genuine. Over the next two months, he transferred money in multiple instalments via Google Pay and IMPS to different scanner codes and bank accounts shared by the scammers. Between September 24 and December 3, he ended up sending a total of ₹33.1 lakh.

When he later requested a refund of his investment and promised returns, the scammers demanded additional payments, claiming he needed to pay a “service tax” first. Even after he paid a small amount, no money was returned, and the scammers continued pressuring him for more.

A case has been registered at the CEN Crime Police Station.

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News Network
December 7,2025

SHRIMP.jpg

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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