Ongole : Police bust inter-State gang of cheats, recover Rs 7 lakh

Ongole : Prakasam district police arrested a gang of three fraudsters who trap people offering gold at a cheap price and cheat them by handing over fake gold and escaping with the money.

The Ongole DSP, KVVNV Prasad said that in the wake of thefts and cheating cases reporting in Prakasam district for the last few days and following the orders of the district SP Siddharth Kausal, the district police kept a close watch on the movements of old criminals, suspicious persons, and strangers.

Meanwhile, the Ongole II Town police received a complaint from Bojja Adam of Nagambhotlapalem village in Thalluru mandal that a man cheated him for Rs 7 lakh in the name of selling gold at a cheaper price. In the complaint, Adam explained to the police that a man by the name of Raju, a nomad, sold him 3 quail birds at Rs 100, on September 27.

As the price is less than the usual rate, he provided his mobile number to Raju to inform whenever he is selling the birds in the area. After a few days, Raju called back Adam and informed that his brother Ravi, who works as a driver to an excavator has unearthed a gold treasure pot and wants to make cash from it as early as possible.

After Adam expressed interest, Raju's men met Adam in Ongole on October 2, and showed him an original gold beads chain. They convinced Adam, at last, to purchase 2 kgs of gold at a throwaway price of Rs 7 lakh. After the happy Adam paid an advance of Rs 1 lakh, they asked him to collect the gold at Palamaneru of Chittoor district later.

When Adam and his accompanies reached Palamaneru, Raju and his men handed over a plastic carry bag with ornaments and collected the money, Rs 6 lakh. They said that it is not safe to stay for more minutes and hurried them to leave the place immediately.

When they opened the bag on the return journey, they found that the ornaments are of guilt gold and they were cheated by the Raju and gang. After attempts to trace them go in vain, Adam complained about the cheating in Ongole II Town police station on October 15.

The DSP announced that they took serious note of the case and formed two teams under the CI M Rajesh and SI S Subbarao. Investigating the case with the technical help from the department staff, they arrested Govindu Kalyan Naik of YSR Kadapa district, Janaf Sivaiah of Kolar district and Gowrappa of Chikballapur district in Karnataka at their settled place, Hakipiki Colony, Shikaripet village in Kadapa district and recovered Rs 6 lakh from them.

The DSP said that three accused select villages in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka and make contacts by selling birds at a cheap price and commit similar crimes.