Fake cops who conned women, senior citizens held in Mira Road

Mumbai:- Six conmen, who duped unsuspecting senior citizens and women by posing as cops, were recently arrested by the Kashimira police. The men have admitted to nearly 40 offences in Mumbai and Thane; 10 of the cases were in Mira-Bhayander. Most of the times, they targeted people who were out for a morning walk.

"The modus operandi of these men was to keep their targets engrossed in conversation, while they flicked valuables. The accused operated in groups of two or three at a time,'' said investigating officer A Bhoir.

One group of accused would try to frighten their target by pretending that a serious crime like a murder had occurred in the vicinity. They would ask women to remove their jewellery and tie them up in a handkerchief.

The second group of accused would try to lure their target by pretending that a rich man was distributing sarees as a son had been born to him after several years. Women were told to remove their ornaments to appear poor and be guaranteed a new saree. The ornaments were tied in a handkerchief. The gang members would then flick ornaments from the kerchief by the sleight of hand.

The prime accused have been identified as Ramesh Jaiswal (32) and his brother Naresh (30), both residents of Chembur. "The gang members have close to 20 past cases and were on the run for long. We laid a trap and nabbed them last week from Mira Road. By nabbing every single associate, we have put an end to the gang's activities,'' Bhoir added. As the accused were well-built and sported short hair, they could pass off easily as cops.