Two men from Rajasthan have been arrested for allegedly cheating a Borivali-based chemical supplier of ₹17.65 lakh by posing as representatives of a fictitious company and using forged documents and fake UPI payment receipts.

The accused have been identified as Lalit Bisnoi (26) and Vikas Bisnoi (19), residents of Dangiyawas village near Jodhpur. Police have clarified that the duo has no connection with the Bishnoi gang.

According to the police, the accused contacted the chemical supplier between June 24 and July 1, claiming that the chemicals were required for wood-finishing work.

They allegedly purchased 62 barrels of ethyl acetate weighing around 13,020 kg and valued at ₹16.03 lakh, along with seven barrels of mixed xylene weighing around 1,204 kg and worth ₹1.62 lakh.

Investigators suspect that the chemicals may have been diverted for use in illicit drug manufacturing units, rather than being used for the stated purpose of furniture or woodwork.

Fake Documents and UPI Receipts Used

To gain the supplier's trust, the accused allegedly created forged Aadhaar and PAN cards, fake company letterheads and visiting cards. They reportedly posed as representatives of a fictitious firm named Ramdev Industries.

The duo allegedly sent fabricated PhonePe screenshots and fake UTR numbers to make it appear that payments had been successfully transferred to the supplier.

The alleged fraud came to light on July 27, when the supplier, Nirmit Ajmera, checked the payment records for another order and discovered that the promised payment had never been credited to his account. He subsequently filed a police complaint on August 13.

Investigation Spans Multiple States

Following the complaint, police teams from Mumbai's North Zone-2 and Jodhpur East division coordinated their investigation. Cyber intelligence, mobile tower data and physical surveillance were reportedly used to trace the accused.

Two undercover officers from the District Task Force allegedly posed as local residents and monitored the suspects for two days before the duo was arrested while attempting to leave their village.

Police said a direct raid inside the village was avoided due to concerns about resistance from local residents.

Police Suspect Wider Chemical Procurement Network

The investigation has reportedly uncovered a larger network. Police found that the accused allegedly operated fictitious accounts under names such as Shyam Industries and had contacted at least 39 chemical companies across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Rajasthan and Haryana.

Investigators also allege that the suspects rented bank accounts from other individuals by paying commissions of around ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 and obtained SIM cards using forged documents.

Both accused are currently in police custody. Authorities are investigating how the suspects generated convincing-looking UPI payment confirmations and are probing their alleged links to a wider network involved in procuring industrial solvents.

Police have indicated that more arrests may follow as the investigation continues.