The Delhi Police on Sunday arrested five members of a gang that allegedly operated a fake police unit and a bogus income tax squad involved in a dramatic 1 kg gold heist. The arrests came after a 72-hour multicity operation that exposed a deep-rooted nexus of criminals impersonating government officials to dupe unsuspecting citizens.
According to officials, the gang members played specific roles-one posed as a government servant while another claimed to be the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Public Relations Officer in the Madhya Pradesh government. Using these fake identities, the accused allegedly carried out targeted robberies and extortion attempts.
Police said the operation involved an interstate chase spanning nearly 1,200 km across Bahadurgarh, Gurugram, Sonipat, Panipat, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Hisar, and Jind. After continuous tracking, teams recovered 435.03 grams of stolen gold and Rs 3.97 lakh in cash from the accused.
Investigators scanned more than 250 CCTV cameras, used advanced surveillance tools, and relied heavily on human intelligence to crack the case. Authorities also seized five fake ID card holders and lanyards labelled "Delhi Police", allegedly used by the gang to deceive their victims.
Phone-Snatching Racket Linked to International Smuggling Network Busted
In a separate action, Delhi Police dismantled a phone-snatching racket tied to an international smuggling syndicate with the arrest of three men, an official said on Friday. Police recovered 103 stolen mobile phones, many of which were destined for illegal export.
According to investigators, the gang primarily targeted pedestrians and commuters using stolen two-wheelers with fake or hidden number plates. Once the phones were snatched, the accused allegedly unlocked devices by guessing predictable PINs and patterns, giving them access to UPI apps and digital wallets. Police said they carried out unauthorised transactions worth lakhs of rupees before the victims could block their accounts.
Further probe revealed that the stolen devices were bulk-processed by receivers and routed to Nepal through intermediaries, where they were resold in grey markets.
Police stated that both cases highlight the growing sophistication of organised crime networks and the need for greater public vigilance.
CAclubindia
