Three members of attention diversion gang arrested

Hyderabad: The Gandhi Nagar crime team on Monday arrested a three member gang which was involved in stealing cash or jewellery by diverting the attention of people.

Gold weighing 46 tolas worth Rs 13.2 lakh was recovered from the arrested. The arrested were Santosh Kulkarni, 46, and Mudigonda Bhaskar, 25, both of Chaitanyapuri, Dilsukhnagar and Puligila Lakshman, 45, of Gowliguda, DCP (Central) VB Kamalasan Reddy said.

Explaining the modus operandi, the DCP said that the gang used to masquerade as suppliers of chocolates and biscuits of reputed companies. They used target shops run by old aged women or men and trick them into believing that their company was offering gold chains and rings as an incentive for best sales.

"In order to gain the shopkeeper's confidence, the gang pretended to call their general manager, who was also the gang member, and make them talk to him and the alleged conmen, posing as manager, assured that he had been selected as the best shopkeeper. The gagsters used to trick shop-keepers part with the gold ornaments and disappear by diverting their attention, the DCP said.

Police arrested the three members at Pot Market in Secunderabad while they were moving under suspicious circumstances.