A six-member gang, two of whom are techies, were arrested on charges of kidnapping and extortion on Saturday.
Two cars, lethal weapons, Rs 4 lakh in cash, six cellphones and fake explosive devices were seized from the six.
Muniram, 32, Sandesh alias Soodesh, 25, and Bharat Amla, 40, are engineering graduates, while D.K. Kiran, 26, holds a degree in Tourism and Hospitality.
Police Commissioner N. Achuta Rao said the gang would kidnap software professionals, tie fake explosives around their waist and demand a hefty ransom, threatening to blow them up if they didn’t pay. The police formed a special team to track down the gang as quite a number of incidents of software professionals being robbed were reported.
A preliminary probe revealed Kiran had duped several people, promising them jobs. When the job aspirants pressurised him, Kiran, Praveen and Rajkumar decided to kidnap and extort money from the rich.