Fake cops’ gang busted

The arrest led to the recovery of a four-wheeler,a two-wheeler,gold ornaments and khaki clothes resembling police uniform. “We recovered a jeep,a motorcycle and gold ornaments from the trio. We also seized Khaki sweater,a brown jerkin,three military caps,a brown cap,two Rayban goggles,brown shoes,a white rope,a wooden stick. These were used to make themselves look like policemen,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime) Rajesh Bansode.

“Investigation revealed that this year alone the trio committed 21 crimes in which they duped people in the guise of policemen. Besides Pune,they have also committed crimes in Satara,Aurangabad,Jalna and in Karnataka and Gujarat states,” said assistant commissioner of police (crime) Vinod Satav.

Meanwhile,acting on a tip-off to havaldar S N Manchekar,a crime branch team led by inspector B G Kutwal arrested a man,Nakhuda alias Naushadali Irani,a resident of Vaiduwadi,Hadapsar,on Saturday. Nakhuda was wanted in several cases of conning people in the guise of policeman.

In December 2010,Chinchwad police had arrested Nakhuda’s accomplice Ibrahim Babu Irani of Shivajinagar. Nakhuda had managed to give the slip to the police then. The police had been searching for him ever since.

Earlier,Viman Nagar police had arrested Nazar Changez Irani (24) and Shabbir Miskin Irani (19),both natives of Irani Wasti in Shrirampur,Ahmednagar,who allegedly posed as policemen and duped elderly citizens in Viman Nagar area.

Police said all the suspects used the same modus operandi. Posing as policemen,they approach elderly citizens saying a crime has taken place ahead and criminals are on the loose. Then they ask elderly citizens to remove their ornaments and hide it handkerchiefs or bags as a precaution. Taking them to be cops out to help them,the victims remove their ornaments,only to be taken away by the conmen.