Man on the Run: Nearly a Decade of Evasion and Arrest in Apple Consignment Fraud

In a breakthrough in a long-standing con case, Delhi Police arrested 38-year-old Istaq Ahmedar from Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir. The arrest follows Ahmedar's involvement in a scam where he allegedly cheated a Delhi man out of more than Rs 5 lakh, promising supply of Kashmiri apple consignments.

The incident, registered at Mahendra Park police station in 2016, saw Ahmedar and his accomplice duping the victim through a fake business deal. Since then, Ahmedar managed to evade law enforcement by frequently changing locations and contact numbers. A Rs 50,000 bounty was announced for information that could lead to his arrest.

A meticulous investigation by the crime branch, involving extensive technical surveillance, eventually led to Ahmedar's capture. He admitted to discontinuing all communication with the complainant once financial disputes surfaced and took elaborate measures to avoid detection. Further investigations are ongoing.

(With inputs from agencies.)