The Central Crime Branch of Mangaluru City Police arrested Sam Peter, who had been absconding after securing bail in September 2023, for offences of cheating and fraud committed while posing as an officer/director of the National Crime Investigation Bureau (NCIB).

Mangaluru Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy informed that Peter was last arrested by the Mangaluru East Police, along with eight of his associates, from a lodge at Pumpwell on August 16, 2019. He secured bail in September 2023 and, after that, could not be traced.

Red corner notices issued prior to his arrest in 2019 were withdrawn while courts issued many proclamations after he went missing in 2023, the Commissioner said.

A native of Kavannadu in Kollam, Keralam, Sam Peter alias Danny Tarakan alias Anthony, 64, used many names, including Shyam Peter, Rahul Peter, Rajesh Robinson, Ritu Richard, Roy Jacob, Robin Richardson, Robinson, Antony Francis, and Sharon Francis. He formed a gang, impersonated as an officer of the NCIB, and targeted people involved in financial disputes, bank fraud, and tax evasion cases. He deceived and extorted money by pretending to be an officer of the NCIB. He was arrested in one such case by the Mangaluru East police in 2019.

Mr. Reddy said a red corner notice was issued against the accused by the Interpol since 2001.

At least 17 cases of cheating and fraud were registered against the accused in various areas, including Mangaluru City East, Ullal, Konaje, Chikkaballapur, Bengaluru, Udupi, and Kushalnagar, and in the States of Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh.

Warrants were issued against the accused 17 times in the Ullal case while warrants were issued 14 times in the East Police Station case. Peter was handed over to the East police for further investigation, the Commissioner said.