Police bust gang posing as bank recovery agents
Delhi Police has busted a gang posing as bank recovery agents and extorting money from vehicle owners on city roads using mobile technology. Four accused have been arrested in connection with the racket, officials said on Sunday.
The gang used a mobile application to identify vehicles with pending EMIs and then targeted owners on busy roads. They allegedly threatened victims and forced them to transfer money online.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Rajeev Kumar said the accused used a “systematic and technology-driven method” to identify and target victims. “They impersonated recovery agents, intimidated people, and extorted money through digital transactions. Further investigation is underway to identify more victims and associates,” he said.
The case came to light after a complaint by Keshav Kumar, who alleged that he was stopped near Vikas Marg, close to ITO, on March 26.
According to police, he was intercepted by men in a white car, forcibly taken aside, assaulted, and threatened.
The accused then forced him to transfer Rs 18,000 online before letting him go. Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered at Shakarpur police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police said a special team was formed immediately after the case was registered. During the investigation, officers used technical surveillance and local intelligence to trace the suspects. A breakthrough came after inputs from a secret informer indicated that individuals from Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh were involved.
Police said further analysis of mobile data and location tracking confirmed the suspects’ presence at the crime scene. Based on this, multiple raids were conducted, leading to the arrest of four accused: Prince (22), Shivam (23), Teetu alias Tittu (22), all from Baghpat, and Aakash alias Akku (25) from Kharkhari Loni in Uttar Pradesh.
During interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed to their involvement in the case and admitted to carrying out similar incidents. Police said none of them had prior criminal records.
Investigators also revealed the gang’s modus operandi. The accused used a mobile app to identify vehicles with pending EMIs. They would then follow or intercept these vehicles using a white car without a number plate.
Posing as bank recovery agents, they would stop the vehicle owners, threaten them with consequences, and, in some cases, assault them.
