Mumbai: The Railway crime branch dismantled an interstate gang defrauding passengers at Mumbai railway stations and bus terminals and arrested two accused Najrul Shaikh, 32, of West Bengal, and Iqbal Khan, 34, of Uttar Pradesh. The police seized $1,580 (Rs1.32 lakh), Rs50,000 in cash, and three mobile phones.
The gang targeted long-distance passengers at ticket windows. One member would approach a passenger, claiming a card was needed to buy a ticket, while another pretended to be a passenger and gave money to the first to gain trust.
They would then take money or digital payment details from the passengers, make excuses, and leave. The gang had committed similar crimes in Ahmedabad, Surat, Baroda, Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.
The investigation began when Deepak Thakur, a Punjab resident working in Egypt, reported being defrauded at Mumbai Central railway station in May. Thakur was approached by the gang and tricked into exchanging his American currency. The Railway Crime Branch Unit-6 arrested the accused on July 2 with technical assistance. Shaikh was arrested in Diva, Thane, and Khan in West Bengal. They are currently in police custody.
