Muhammad Naseer, a Muslim trader from Palakkad district, Kerla state, India, was the person behind a wide-scale fraud that affected about 1500 cardamom farmers in the region. Father Sebastian Kochupurackal, parish priest of St. George Forane church at Parathode in Idukki diocese of the Kerala-based Eastern rite Syro Malabar Church, and general convener of the High Range Samrakshana Samithi, said that the majority of the farmers targeted were Catholics, and they lost more than 2.5 billion Indian rupees ($29.8 million) overall.

Naseer gained the trust of the farmers by initially buying their dried cardamom at a higher rate and promising even higher returns that would have crossed the market rates for their product. He covered these early expenses from his oversee sources that raised the suspicion of his connection to terrorist organizations. A farmer who fell victim to the fraud said that

“Naseer initially paid the promised amount and won our goodwill.”

But after the promising start, Naseer disappeared, and with him all the products of the victims. His whereabouts are currently unknown.

The victims of the fraud filed multiple complaints in different police stations, but with minimal success. The police said that they received the complaints and the investigation is ongoing. Rishi Sunish, an office-bearer of the Idukki-Wayanad Cardamom Federation, said that the farmers case is weak because of the lack of legal receipts. He added that many farmers lost everything, and even their stocked dried cardamom for their daughters wedding was lost.

Source: UCA News

Photo: Malcolm and Amanda