Tracking his girlfriends’ phones, Wayanad Police nab serial fraudster from Goa

Kalpetta: Wayanad police have recently apprehended a seasoned fraudster, Salmanul Faris (26), a native of Kavilumpara in Kozhikode, tracking the mobile phones of his girlfriend from Goa. Faris, accused in over 15 fraud cases across Kerala, was involved in multiple scams, including online sales fraud and financial misappropriation. Three of these cases were registered in Wayanad alone.

Faris had been arrested three times before by a team led by Wayanad Cyber Police Station Inspector Shaju Joseph, yet he had managed to escape each time. His recent arrest in Panaji, Goa, was executed by Shaju's team after he attempted to flee upon sensing police presence through his network of casino drug dealers and scam associates. He switched off his mobile phone, but investigators tracked a new number linked to one of his Malayali girlfriends from Kolkata, leading to his capture while attempting to board a bus to Mumbai.

His criminal history dates back to 2021, when he was first charged with siphoning off Rs 1.6 lakh from a resident of Ambalavayal, Wayanad. Though arrested in Kozhikode, he secured bail and disappeared. The second arrest was made in Sikkim, where police traced a mobile number used by a Bengali woman linked to him. Once again, he was brought back to Wayanad but later taken to Vijayawada by the Andhra Pradesh cops in a case registered there. He got bail there and eloped.

In 2023, Kerala police tracked the phone of his other girlfriend, a native of Wayanad, leading them to Kolkata. He was arrested there but managed to escape during a train journey to Kerala, at Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, after attacking the officers escorting him. Following his disappearance, police continued monitoring his contacts, ultimately leading to his capture in Goa.

With four active arrest warrants and heightened vigilance, authorities believe escaping from custody will now be difficult. “We have alerted all police stations to revive pending cases against him,” said an official involved in the operation. Investigators also revealed that his mobile phone data pointed to his extensive history of manipulating women.

Faris was also deeply involved in online fraud, particularly on OLX, where he posted fake advertisements for vehicles and other goods, collecting advance payments before vanishing. Despite operating extensively in online fraud, Faris himself never owned a personal mobile phone. He frequently used phones from his girlfriends to conduct scams, avoiding direct digital traces. Police also noted that one woman from Wayanad, lured by him, had travelled to Kolkata and remained in contact with him. 

A team led by Inspector Shaju Joseph, with officers Shukkoor PA, Najeeb K, Vinisha C, and Additional Sub-Inspector Bineesh, made the arrests.