Nerul: In a major action against an employment fraud racket, Nerul Police have registered a case against the owner of DLS Marine Solution LLP and five others for allegedly cheating several educated youths by promising them lucrative jobs on international merchant ships.

According to police officials, the main accused, Ashish Ghodke (alias Kale), opened an office of DLS Marine Solution LLP at Haware Centurion Mall in Seawoods in August 2025. With the help of his associates, he reportedly launched an aggressive advertising campaign and appointed agents to approach job seekers looking for overseas employment in the shipping sector.

The fraud came to light after 24-year-old Anupam Chauhan, a resident of Rabale, filed a complaint. Chauhan was introduced to the company through an agent named Raghav while searching for a job. The accused promised him a position on a merchant ship in Istanbul, Turkey, with a monthly salary of $700.

Believing the offer to be genuine, Chauhan paid Rs 2.20 lakh in installments towards processing charges and travel expenses. On September 23, 2025, he was asked to report at Mumbai Airport for departure. However, the company representatives later claimed there were “technical issues” and asked him to return home.

When Chauhan later visited the company’s office in Seawoods, he found it locked and the operators missing. Further inquiries revealed that several others had also been cheated. Victims include Ashish Pokla, Rs 3.20 lakh, Rushikesh Rajbhar, Rs 2.30 lakh, Akhilesh Chavan, Rs 2.20 lakh, and Vinodkumar Chavan, Rs 1.50 lakh. Altogether, the gang allegedly collected around Rs 11.40 lakh from five to six victims.

Police have booked Ashish Ghodke, Rohit, Yogesh Vinod Kumar, Ajit Singh Navin, agent Raghav, and others under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. A search operation has been launched to trace the accused, and police have appealed to other victims to come forward.