Four in cop net for posing as bank agents and extorting motorists

New Delhi: Four members of a high-tech roadside extortion racket have been arrested by Delhi Police for allegedly posing as bank recovery agents and targeting motorists using a mobile application.

The accused — Prince (22), Aakash alias Akku (25), Shivam (23) and Teetu alias Tittu (22), all residents of Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh — were apprehended following a complaint lodged at Shakarpur Police Station. According to police, the gang used an app to identify vehicles with pending loan instalments and intercepted motorists on busy roads, threatening and extorting money through digital payments.

The case came to light after Keshav Kumar alleged that he was stopped near Vikas Marg, close to the ITO area, on March 26. The accused allegedly restrained and assaulted him while posing as recovery agents, and forced him to transfer Rs 18,000 online.

Police used technical surveillance and local intelligence to trace the accused, with inputs from a secret informer and mobile location data aiding the investigation.

Five mobile phones and a car used in the crime have been recovered.