Bhatkal: Barely years after the infamous Flawless Ponzi scheme that cheated residents of Bhatkal of hundreds of crores, the town has once again been rocked by a major financial fraud. This time, the alleged scam involves a newly opened business ‘Global Enterprises’ whose owners reportedly fled the town after duping several customers.
According to preliminary reports, Global Enterprises had opened its showroom near Marikatte on the main road barely 15 days ago. The firm had claimed to offer furniture, electronic appliances, and other high-value goods at unusually discounted rates.
Locals said the owners, who hailed from Tamil Nadu, initially sold products at cheaper prices to gain the public’s confidence. After earning their trust, they began collecting advance payments from customers with promises of delivery within a few days. However, by Wednesday, the owners had disappeared, and their office was found locked.
Speaking to Vartha Bharati, Bhatkal Town Police Station PSI Naveen Naik confirmed that an FIR had been registered and an investigation was underway. “The owners of the firm are from Tamil Nadu. We have initiated efforts to trace and arrest them,” he said.
Naik also urged all victims who made payments to Global Enterprises to visit the Bhatkal Town Police Station with receipts and lodge official complaints. He assured that the police would investigate the case thoroughly and take swift action against the accused.
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Dubai (PTI): The UAE has condemned a strike on an Indian-flagged vessel off the coast of Oman, calling it a "terrorist attack" and a "dangerous escalation" that threatens the stability of critical waterways.
The commercial vessel, which was sailing from Somalia, came under attack on Wednesday, according to India's Ministry of External Affairs.
All 14 crew members were rescued by Omani authorities, but it was not immediately known who carried out the strike, it said.
"The UAE strongly condemns terrorist attack on Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman," the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said in a statement issued on Thursday. "This attack constitutes a grave threat to the security of international navigation and represents a dangerous escalation aimed at undermining the stability of critical waterways."
The incident took place amid the fragile situation in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway close to the coast of Oman through which roughly one-fifth of the world's energy supplies pass.
It has been severely disrupted by the conflict in West Asia that started on February 28, with the US and Israel launching joint attacks on Iran, triggering retaliatory strikes.
The MoFA further said that the attack on the India-flagged vessel on Wednesday was a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2817, which affirms the importance of freedom of navigation and rejects the targeting of commercial vessels or the obstruction of international maritime routes.
It emphasised that "targeting commercial shipping and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of economic coercion or blackmail represent acts of piracy and constitute a direct threat to the stability of the region, its peoples, and global energy security".
The UAE expressed solidarity with India and its support for all measures aimed at safeguarding the security and safety of its vessels and interests, the statement said.
Earlier, India had described the attack as "unacceptable".
At least two other Indian-flagged ships have been attacked since the conflict broke out.
