Repeat offender arrested for fraud cases with invalid payment slips
He was recently taken into custody for allegedly using fake payment slips to order food through the delivery platform Foodies app.
Zaidhan Mohamed Hashim, 28, has been arrested once again for allegedly sending invalid payment slips to obtain goods from shops.
Police confirmed that Zaidhan, along with Afrin Aktar, 30, a Bangladeshi national, was taken into custody on Tuesday in connection with several fraud cases reported last month.
Police stated that a case was reported on 16 May involving the use of invalid transfer slips at a shop in Uppsala. Subsequent investigations revealed that Zaidhan had used similar methods to obtain goods fraudulently from two other shops in Malé. CCTV footage reportedly showed Zaidhan entering two apartments connected to a rented shelter flat, from where he allegedly sent the fake payment confirmations.
A search of the apartments led to the recovery of various goods suspected to have been obtained through the fraudulent transactions.
According to police, the total value of goods obtained through invalid slips includes MVR 36,467 from a shop in Hulhumale, MVR 31,150 from another, and MVR 5,817 from a third outlet in Male.
Zaidhan has been remanded in custody for 15 days while Afrin has been remanded for five days. Police are currently investigating 11 fraud cases involving Zaidhan, with two charges already pending in court.
Zaidhan has previously been arrested for similar offences. He was recently taken into custody for allegedly using fake payment slips to order food through the delivery platform Foodies app.
His criminal history includes convictions by the Civil Court for multiple instances of fraud involving significant amounts of money. In February 2023, he was listed as a wanted individual by police in connection with a civil court case. He was also convicted in April 2022 for fraudulently buying and selling goods using the name of a fake company.
In October 2023, he was arrested for sending an invalid transfer slip during a purported foreign currency transaction. Police have announced that they are continuing to investigate whether Zaidhan was involved in further financial frauds involving multiple victims.
