Bureau de Change Operator Dupes 3 Lagos Businessmen, Absconds with N170m

 

At the Victoria Island area of Lagos State, it has been reported that Aly Sayad, a Lebanese bureau de change operator, has allegedly absconded with $487,700 (about N170m) belonging to three businessmen who had approached the suspect in his office to help them change the dollars to naira.

 

According to Punch Metro, the lebanese was alleged to have left the customers in the office after collecting the money, saying he was going to the bank to transfer the naira equivalent to their various bank accounts.

 

It was gathered that after waiting for hours, the victims were said to have gone to the bank where Sayad claimed he was going to do the transaction, but could not find him, as he have already fled with the money.

 

The case was reported at the Bar Beach Police Division in the Lagos Island, where a manhunt was launched for the suspect.

 

A police source who disclosed to a correspondent, said that the incident happened on Tuesday, adding that the complainants approached the police after searching for Sayad for seven hours.

 

He said, “The three men actually met at the Lebanese man’s office where they gave him money totalling $487,700 which they wanted to change to naira. He told them to wait for him that he would be going to the bank to deposit the dollars and transfer the naira equivalent into their bank accounts.

 

Dolapo Badmos, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed the incident, adding that nobody knew the address of the suspect.

 

“We are on his trail. The unfortunate thing is that nobody knows his address. We have transferred the matter to the State Department of Criminal Investigation, Yaba, for further investigation. We will surely get him,” she said.