8 of inter-state gang arrested

Prayagraj: Pratapgarh police on Monday claimed to have busted an inter-state thug gang and arrested its eight members near Derwa bazaar road while they were planning to distribute booty.Cops have also seized 688 gms of fake gold, 120 gms of real gold, one mobile phone, Rs 240 cash, five fake Aadhaar cards, and other valuables from their possession.The arrested persons, identified as Dipuna Das, Okshya Das, Prasanatta Das alias Munna, Ramu Pradhan, Neelkhant Rao, Colles Das, Tarini Pradhan, and Lili Das, were residents of Odisha.The modus operandi of the thugs is simple. They arrive from Odisha to UP towns in groups and carry fake gold articles (articles made of brass). The gang used to travel in local passenger trains (not express trains) to avoid suspicion, interact with gullible victims including small jewellers, and cheat them with fake brass articles with the claim of gold. Initially, the gang members show genuine gold pieces to the gullible victims with the objective of winning their trust, and when the victims demand more gold at cheaper rates, they replace it with brass items. Later, they leave the city or towns after executing the crime. Police said that the gang had cheated a Pratapgarh-based jeweller with fake jewellery worth Rs five lakhs about two years back and escaped.