Honey-trap gang operating fake police outpost in Meerut busted; two arrested

Meerut SP (City) Vinayak Gopal Bhonsle said the case surfaced after a complaint was lodged at Brahmpuri police station by Neeraj on Friday

With the arrest of two men, Meerut police on Saturday claimed to have busted a gang that allegedly operated a fake police outpost barely 3 km from a police station, using it to blackmail and extort money from victims lured through online honey traps. Police said two other accused are absconding.

Police recovered uniforms, electronic devices and other material used to create the fake police setup (Representative image/PTI)

The racket came to light after a local youth lodged a complaint, prompting a police raid that uncovered a fabricated police outpost complete with furniture, official-looking decor, police uniforms and other items used to create the impression of a genuine police facility.

Meerut SP (City) Vinayak Gopal Bhonsle said the case surfaced after a complaint was lodged at Brahmpuri police station by Neeraj on Friday. The complainant alleged that men posing as police personnel threatened to implicate him in a false criminal case unless he paid them money. He told police that one of the accused claimed to be a sub-inspector while another impersonated a constable.

During the inquiry, police found that no such outpost existed in official records. Acting on the complaint, a police team raided the premises identified by the complainant at around 11.30 am on Saturday and found a room meticulously arranged to resemble a functioning police outpost. Two men allegedly impersonating police personnel were arrested from the spot.

Police recovered uniforms, electronic devices and other material used to create the fake police setup. Initial interrogation revealed that the accused regularly introduced themselves as police officers to intimidate victims into paying money.

According to police, the gang created fake female profiles on social media to befriend unsuspecting young men. After gaining their trust, the accused allegedly engaged them in sexually explicit chats and persuaded them to participate in nude video calls. They then prepared fabricated complaints and threatened to register criminal cases against the victims.

The victims were allegedly summoned to the fake police outpost, where gang members posed as inspectors and sub-inspectors and warned them of arrest and imprisonment unless they paid money to settle the matter.

The arrested accused were identified as Rahul Pal and Akash. Police said efforts were underway to arrest two other absconding accused. Laptops, mobile phones and other electronic devices allegedly used in the operation have been seized and sent for forensic examination.

During questioning, the accused allegedly told investigators they had earlier worked as property dealers but turned to the honey-trap and impersonation racket after suffering financial losses.

Police are also examining the accused’s bank accounts to trace financial transactions and assess the scale of the alleged extortion network. Further investigation is underway to identify more victims and ascertain whether additional people were involved in the racket, officials said.