New Delhi, March 29 Delhi Police has busted a gang of fake loan recovery agents operating a sophisticated extortion racket on the side of the road in east Delhi, and has arrested four people, an officer said on Sunday.
The accused allegedly used a mobile application to identify vehicles with outstanding loan repayments and targeted their owners on busy roads, posing as bank recovery agents, he said.
"The case came to light after a complaint was filed by Keshav Kumar, who reported that he was intercepted near ITO on Vikas Marg on March 26. The occupants of a white car stopped him, forcibly took him, assaulted and threatened him before extorting Rs 18,000 through an online transfer," the officer said.
Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered at the Shakarpur police station on March 27, and an investigation was launched. A police team was formed, which relied on technical surveillance and local intelligence inputs, he said.
A tip-off from an informant pointed to the involvement of suspects from Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, the officer said.
Technical analysis of mobile data and location tracking established the suspects' presence at the crime scene and helped identify their movements. Subsequently, raids were conducted at multiple locations, leading to the arrest of Prince, 22, Aakash alias Akku, 25, Shivam, 23, and Teetu alias Tittu, 22, he said.
"During interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed to their involvement in the present case and disclosed that they had been operating as fake recovery agents using a mobile application to identify potential targets," the officer said.
Police said the gang would target vehicle owners with outstanding loan repayments, intercept them on roads using a car without a number plate, and intimidate them by impersonating bank officials.
They would threaten, assault and wrongfully confine victims before forcing them to transfer money through QR codes or other online payment methods.
The accused would release the victims after extorting money. Police have recovered five mobile phones used in the crime and the white car. Efforts are underway to identify other victims and trace an associate who allegedly facilitated financial transactions for the gang, police said.