Lautoka man charged with $27,000 agriculture scam

A 56-year-old man from Lautoka has been charged for allegedly swindling more than $27,000 in an agriculture supply scam.

Police say the man, acting as a middleman for an overseas supplier, allegedly received advance payments between October 2018 and September 2019 from a local buyer for agriculture supplies.

Instead of delivering the goods, he is accused of presenting a false bill of lading, purportedly from the overseas supplier. The items were never received.

Both the local buyer and the overseas supplier lodged complaints, which led to the investigation by the Criminal Investigations Department’s Major Fraud Unit.

The man has been charged with one count of Obtaining Property by Deception and will appear in the Lautoka Magistrates Court today.