KARACHI, May 22: Police on early Thursday morning arrested six persons including a British national in two different raids in the city, on charges of a fraud involving Rs6.5 million.

According to reports, earlier in the month some persons visited a wholesale electronic shop located at Boat Basin Clifton, and introduced themselves as representing The British Council Karachi.

ASP Civil Lines Imran Shaukat told Dawn the suspects told the shopkeeper that they wanted to buy a wide range of electronic goods including flat screen television sets, several big screen TV sets, computers with LCD monitors, microwaves, refrigerators etc. “ They sold their story to the shop owner Aziz, that as the city was returning to normalcy most of the British staff were returning to the city and in that connection they needed the electronic appliances,” ASP added.

“Amin, who is the son of an honorary counsel general of a European state in the country, did most of the talking and to a great extent managed to convince the shopkeeper,” SHO Civil Lines Sohail Solari told Dawn. The suspects also showed a fake letterhead of the British Council.

To further convince Aziz, they asked him to deliver the first consignment to a bungalow in Defence, where David Rodrake, introducing himself as the British counsel general, received Aziz, ASP Imran said. They gave the shop owner a cheque for Rs42 lacks against the delivery of goods.

Sensing some foul play, Aziz went to the bank where the cheque proved to be a fake. Aziz also went to The British Council Karachi for verification where he learnt the bitter reality, the SHO said.

Later he lodged a first information report 67/2003 with the Boat Basin police station. Consequently, police started their investigation of the fraud.

Early Thursday morning police raided a bungalow in Khayaban-i-Badar Phase 2 and a house in PECHS, and arrested Itrat Shah, Amin, Ghulam Ali, Asif Khan and Afrooz Ali. The impostor David Rodrake, who is a British national, was also arrested, ASP Imran told Dawn.

Police also recovered a substantial quantity of electronic goods during the raids. However, the ring leader who has been identified as Rashid is still absconding, police said.

BRITISH COUNCIL: The British Council in Karachi has said that David Rodrick has never been employed by the British Deputy High Commission or the British Council, adds APP.