Gurgaon police have made a significant arrest, nabbing a 22-year-old member of an interstate gang allegedly involved in a series of fake gold frauds and chain-snatching cases. The arrest sheds light on a planned modus operandi targeting unsuspecting individuals.
The Arrest and Recovery
The breakthrough came on Saturday when a team from the Sector 43 crime branch apprehended the accused from IFFCO Chowk. The action was initiated based on a complaint filed at the Kherki Daula police station.
From the possession of the arrested individual, police officials recovered six coin-shaped pieces of a metal made to resemble gold along with Rs 40,000 in cash. The seizure points towards the scale of the fraudulent activities.
Modus Operandi of the Fraud
The case unraveled when a complainant received a phone call on January 7 from two unidentified men. They later met him at Bhangrola Chowk and initially sought financial help. Upon his refusal, they spun a fabricated story.
"They claimed to have found gold while digging and offered to sell it to him at a cheaper rate," explained a police officer familiar with the case details.
Intrigued, the complainant met the men again at the same spot on January 9. This time, they showed him seven coin-shaped pieces that looked like gold. Convinced by the act, the victim handed over Rs 1 lakh to the duo, who then left the scene. It was only upon later examination that the metal was confirmed to be fake, prompting the victim to approach the police.
Accused is a Habitual Offender
The arrested accused has been identified as Bhagwan Das, aged 22, a resident of Mirzapur district in Uttar Pradesh. He was produced before a local court on Saturday and has been remanded to police custody for four days for further interrogation.
Inspector Narendra, in-charge of the Sector 43 crime branch, stated that investigations revealed the accused to be a habitual offender. "He and his associates used a planned modus operandi, approaching unsuspecting people with fabricated stories of finding gold and cheating them by selling fake metal," the officer said.
A review of criminal records uncovered a disturbing pattern. Bhagwan Das already has 14 cases of theft and fraud registered against him in Uttar Pradesh and is officially listed as a history-sheeter at the Vindhyachal police station in Mirzapur.
Ongoing Investigations
The Gurgaon police have confirmed that efforts are actively underway to identify and apprehend other members of the interstate gang. The arrest of Bhagwan Das is considered a crucial step in dismantling this network that operated across state lines.
This case serves as a stern warning to such fraudsters and highlights the vigilance of the Gurgaon police in tackling organized street crime and financial fraud.
