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Two Iranians held; cops say syndicate changes members every two months
Gurugram Two Iranian nationals, suspected to be part of an organised syndicate of police impersonators, who snatch money from foreign nationals on the pretext of
Gurugram Two Iranian nationals, suspected to be part of an organised syndicate of police impersonators, who snatch money from foreign nationals on the pretext of conducting an inspection, were arrested on Tuesday.
According to the police, the preliminary probe revealed that the Iranians arrived here on a tourist visa last month and confessed to having robbed US$2,000 from a Turkmenistan national, using a similar modus operandi. The police said they recovered $987 from their possession.
Over the last four months, at least 12 robberies and incidents of snatching have been reported, wherein the victims, mostly foreign nationals, were duped by people claiming to be police and their money, stolen. The suspects con unsuspecting foreign nationals spotted in the vicinity of hospitals and guest houses near the hospitals. The police said the gang is active in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida and Faridabad.
The police said the gang members usually stayed in the city for a short duration, typically for two months, and returned to Iran, from where the syndicate is suspected to be operating. “Since they do not stay here for a longer duration, it presents a challenge in the investigation. We are checking if they had a nexus with guest houses in the city, who tipped them off,” Preet Pal Sangwan, assistant commissioner of police (ACP), said.
“The suspects claim to be policemen who are conducting a routine inspection and check the bags and documents of their target. While checking, the suspects snatch or steal foreign currency and escape in a car,” said Sangwan.
The arrested suspects, identified by their first names as Tayyab, 59, and Ahsan, 33, both natives of Tehran, were arrested from Lajpat Nagar in Delhi on Tuesday.
According to the police, the suspects spoke fluent Hindi and English, which helped them pass off as policemen and also helped them rent cars from Delhi. “To evade arrest, the suspects either changed the number plate of rented cars or covered it with a cloth or mud to avoid being traced in the CCTV cameras. The suspects had taken accommodation at a paying guest in Lajpat Nagar and paid a rent of about ₹3,300 per night. They rented cars for ₹2,500 per day for the crime,” a police officer of the crime branch, requesting anonymity, said.
The police said during questioning, the suspects feigned ignorance and are not cooperating with the investigation, due to which they are taking the assistance of translators.
“A probe has revealed that they arrived in the city on November 10 and a fortnight later, rented a Honda City car. One of them flagged down a Turkmenistan national near Artemis Hospital as he was taking a stroll with his sister in Sector 52 on November 25. They asked him to show the documents and foreign currency and stole $2,000 from the victim before escaping,” said ACP Sangwan.
