Seven held for duping senior citizens in guise of cops (Pune)

Seven held for duping senior citizens in guise of cops
Posted: Jan 12, 2010 at 2302 hrs IST

Pune The Crime Branch of Pune police on Monday arrested a gang of seven persons, including a 15-year-old, for posing as policemen and duping several elderly women in the city.

The suspects pretended to be policemen by wearing 'police-style' goggles and jackets while approaching the elderly women on the road. Police said the imposters, who hail from Pune and Ahmednagar, had stolen ornaments worth Rs 16.97 lakh so far.

In last two years, there have been 61 incidents of "fake cops" cheating senior citizens in the city. 2009 alone saw 42 such incidents, police said. Police said the gang would approach women and say either a riot or some such incident had taken place in the city and advised the women to remove their ornaments for their 'safety.' Soon they would disappear with the ornaments.

Acting on a tip-off, the Crime Branch team, led by inspector Sunil Pawar, arrested the suspects in Lonavala around 3 am on Monday. The suspects have been identified as Imran Froz Irani (19), Ayazali Babulal Irani (20), Imran Sherkhan Pathan (29) all from Shrirampur in Ahmednagar district, Yusuf Salim Ali Irani (25), Siraj Jafar Irani (25), both from Loni Kalbhor, Taher Jafar Irani (32) from Shivajinagar and a 15-year-old boy.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) A D Shinde said the suspects have confessed to their involvement in 30 crimes in the city. "The gang had also committed similar crimes in 20 other districts, including Aurangabad, Latur, Beed, Parbhani, Jalgaon, Wardha, Nashik, Solapur, Jalna and Thane," he said.

Explaining the modus operandi of the gang, Shinde said they used to come to Pune city from Shrirampur by car and motorbikes. "The suspects were very persuasive. Calling themselves as police or CID officers, they would approach elderly women walking alone on the roads. They made the women remove their ornaments and took them away by tricking the elderly ladies," he said.

The suspects were produced before the sessions court on Monday. The court remanded the suspects to police custody till January 15. The minor boy was sent to a remand home. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Anil Kumbhare said the gang was also involved in duping people inside banks. "They used to enter bank as customers and would target people counting money," he said.

Police said they have so far recovered a car, two motorcycles and cash worth Rs 5.5 lakh from the suspects and are looking for the stolen ornaments. Investigation is being carried out to find out if the gang had more members.
Seven held for duping senior citizens in guise of cops - Express India (14 January 2010)
 
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/seven-held-for-duping-senior-citizens-in-guise-of-cops/566188/
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