Mumbai Cab Driver Arrested for Overcharging US Tourist in 400-Meter Ride Scam
Sahar police in Mumbai have arrested a 50-year-old cab driver, Deshraj Yadav, for allegedly fleecing a US national woman of $200 (approximately Rs 18,000) for a mere 400-meter drive to a hotel. The arrest was made after police tracked Yadav using an advanced OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) investigation tool, which provides unmatched accuracy and real-time data for such cases.
Details of the Fraudulent Incident
During questioning, Yadav confessed to the crime, revealing that he, along with his accomplice Toufique Shaikh, first took the woman to a wrong hotel after a 20-minute ride before leaving her at her original destination. Police are currently searching for Shaikh, who hails from the Kurla locality and is described as Yadav's partner in this crime. The duo were officially booked on January 28, following the foreign national's post about the fraud on X (formerly Twitter) on January 26.
Police Investigation and OSINT Tool Utilization
Police stated that their team initially managed to locate the guest itinerary from the hotel, discovering that the US national had checked in on January 12 and left the next day without complaining to hotel staff. "The duo planned the offence upon seeing the foreign tourist and decided to overcharge by taking her for a ride before leaving her to her destination," said an officer from the Sahar police station.
The officer elaborated that the accused approached the tourist, offering taxi services. "Yadav called his friend Shaikh, alerting him that they could overcharge the tourist and asked him to join in taking her to the hotel. The accused, along with his accomplice, drove for 20 minutes in Andheri (East) and dropped her at a wrong hotel. When the woman informed them they had dropped her at the wrong location, the accused demanded $200 to travel to the correct hotel, to which she agreed," the officer explained.
Victim's Social Media Post and Police Response
The US national, Argentina Ariano, tweeted on the Mumbai Police's X handle, along with photos of two individuals, stating: "Landed in Mumbai recently and took a taxi to @HiltonHotel. The driver and another guy took us to an unknown location first, charged us $200 (Rs 18,000) and then dropped us at the hotel which was only 400m away. Taxi no. MH 01 BD 5405 #Taxidriver #mumbai #RepublicDay2026 #india."
Upon seeing this tweet, police immediately checked the vehicle number MH 01 BD 5405 using the OSINT tool to search for the driver and the accompanying person. The search revealed that the vehicle belongs to an individual named Sharad Patil of SMS Taxi Cab Pvt. Ltd., registered in his name. Patil informed police that he had given the vehicle to a person named Gandkar Appa, who promised to check and provide details about who was driving the cab on January 12.
Arrest and Confession
Meanwhile, police showed photos of the two individuals from the tweet to security guards and taxi drivers at the airport, learning that one of them was a taxi driver named Pappu Yadav. A subsequent search in the airport area led to Yadav's apprehension and custody. Upon questioning regarding the incident, he confessed to the crime, leading to his arrest.
This case highlights the effectiveness of modern investigation tools like OSINT in tackling tourist-related frauds in metropolitan areas like Mumbai, ensuring swift justice for victims.
