NEW DELHI: The IGI Airport Police have arrested three individuals, including an airport staff member, for defrauding a passenger through a touting scam involving fraudulent cab services.
On February 18, Wafa Sidheeque mistakenly arrived at Terminal 1 instead of Terminal 2 for her flight to Kochi. A man posing as airport staff falsely claimed that the shuttle would delay her flight and introduced her to a tout. Under pressure, she took a cab, where her phone was used to print her ticket. Upon arrival at T2, she was forced to pay an inflated fare of ₹4,170 for the short trip.
Following her complaint, police launched an investigation. CCTV footage and financial transactions linked the crime to Lucky (22), Akshak Kumar (20), and Shubham Sharma (23). Lucky, the mastermind, owned the cab, while Kumar was the driver, and Sharma, an airport staff member, facilitated the scam.
Police arrested the trio and seized the cab. Investigations revealed that Lucky was a repeat offender, previously involved in four similar cases at IGIA. Kumar, a 12th-grade student-turned-cab driver, and Sharma, a recently recruited airport employee, had been aiding him for months.
Authorities are continuing their investigation, urging more victims to come forward.