Thane police have registered a case against two people who are accused of cheating a Kochi resident of Rs 2.5 lakh under the pretext of securing him a job in the shipping industry, an official said on Wednesday.

According to the complaint at Naupada police station, the 24-year-old man was allegedly deceived by Siddhi and Roshan, who posed as officials from a ship management company. The duo assured him that they could arrange a job for him in South Africa.

Believing their claims, the victim travelled to Thane, where he paid Rs 2.5 lakh and handed over his original passport along with his Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC), a crucial document for seafarers. However, he never received any job confirmation.

When his repeated efforts to retrieve his money and documents proved futile, he approached the police in Thane and filed a complaint on Monday. Officials have launched an investigation to determine whether the accused, who are currently at large, have defrauded others using similar tactics.