Iranian woman held for duping US national of USD 700 at Delhi airport

The case came to light when Baldev Singh, a 70-year-old US citizen of Indian origin, filed a complaint at the IGI Airport Police Station. The incident took place on the night of June 20 when Singh was going to board a flight to the United States.

Singh said he was approached by a couple with a child near one of the departure gates. The pair engaged him in friendly conversation and asked to see Indian currency, allegedly to show their child. Singh obliged by handing over a Rs 50 note. The couple then asked to see US dollars.

Trusting them, he showed them nine $100 notes from his bag. The couple returned the notes after showing them to the child.

It was later that Singh discovered only two genuine notes remained, while the rest had been swapped with Rs 500 Indian currency notes sandwiched between dollar bills to create an illusion of authenticity.

The FIR was registered on June 21 under sections 318(4) and 3(5) of the BNS, and a special investigation team was formed.

Sharing details of the probe, Additional Commissioner of Police (IGI Airport), Usha Rangnani, said, “The team analysed CCTV footage outside the airport and the vehicle used by the suspects was identified and traced. It was found registered in the name of one Beena, a resident of Vikaspuri. While the mobile number linked to the car was found inactive, the registered address was the Mahila Battalion of the CRPF at Vikaspuri. However, on visiting the CRPF Battalion, no Beena Kaur was found posted there,” the ACP said.

Police finally found that the phone number, though inactive, was in the name of a man called Param Singh. “Beena was finally traced and examined. She said she is posted in the CRPF and Param Singh is her husband,” Rangnani said.

“Further examination revealed that the car was leased to an Iranian family in February 2025. However, the contact number available for the family was found to be switched off,” added Rangnani.

Police then tracked the car’s GPS location to Saket. “The raiding team rushed to Saket, and based on local enquiry, it was found that the user of the offending car was staying in a guest house,” said Additional CP Rangnani.

Police nabbed Akbari from the guest house. During questioning, the accused allegedly admitted to the fraud.

According to police, Akbari and her husband struggled financially and devised a plan to target foreign nationals at locations such as the airport, Connaught Place, Khan Market, and Lajpat Nagar.

She told police that her husband had a history of involvement in similar cases across multiple police jurisdictions, including Lajpat Nagar, RK Puram, and Gurgaon.

According to police, Akbari holds refugee status under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and is originally from Tehran. She remains in police custody, and efforts are underway to apprehend her husband.

Police are probing the couple’s financial transactions and looking into their links to similar scams in Delhi-NCR.