Kerala fraudster arrested after three decades of aliases and multi-state scams

Investigators arrested a 64-year-old Kerala resident in Kannur on September 1 after a three-decade pursuit of a con artist who constantly changed his identity. The man, identified by police as Sam Antony, has used at least five aliases and claimed to be an officer of the National Investigation Agency, Research and Analysis Wing, and the National Crime Investigation Bureau. He allegedly approached businessmen entangled in investigations, promising to settle their problems for fees, one instance involving a payment of Rs 1.13 crore.

Police have compiled a list of roughly 17 cases involving cheating, impersonation and extortion in states including Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Tamil Nadu. During the latest raid, officers seized fake passports, Aadhaar and PAN cards, as well as a revolver, a pistol and other forged documents. The suspect had previously evaded capture by avoiding personal SIM registrations and bank accounts, and an Interpol notice had once been issued against one of his aliases. The recent operation was prompted by special teams that traced his movements and connections, leading to his detention.