Two men in police uniform, on a motorcycle, flash their ID cards at women pedestrians in secluded spots in the city, and warn them that a murder or a melee has occurred on the road ahead.
A youth then comes running by and says he has been robbed of his valuables when passing the site of crime. Some pedestrians fall for the con, and hand over their valuables to the ‘police officer’, who promptly makes away with them.
Some though, suspect foul play and try to get away, but are attacked and robbed.
Over the last few weeks, the city has witnessed a number of such crimes, where men posing as police officers have conned and robbed women of gold and diamond jewellery. The crimes have taken place mainly in Adyar, T. Nagar and parts of north Chennai. Police suspect a gang is behind the orchestrated crimes, with a well-rehearsed modus operandi.
A classic such case was that of G. Ramadevi (58), a resident of Rajaji Salai, Saidapet, who was told, last Saturday, by ‘policemen’ in T. Nagar of a murder, and warned not to go ahead. “Suddenly a youth came running towards us claiming that he has been robbed ahead and that he should have listened to the advice of the policemen. I suspected foul play and tried to walk away but one ‘policeman’ caught my hand and removed my five gold bangles and the other snatched my 5.5 sovereign chain and the three men sped away on the bike,” Ms. Ramadevi told The Hindu .
Similar cons took place on the same day later on Ramanujan Street and Raja Street. Two cases were also reported under the Adyar police station limits.
Police have asked residents to be careful, and have launched an investigation into the incidents.
