Honeytrap gang posing as cops, journalists busted in UP; 2 arrested

Two accused have been arrested, while a search is underway to arrest two more members of the five-member gang.

In Short

• The survivor was lured through a fake woman's profile before being blackmailed
• Fake police gear, walkie-talkies, seals, laptop and tablet seized during raids
• Police deny reports of a fake police outpost, say gang operated from an office

A gang that allegedly impersonated police personnel, senior police officers and journalists to run a honeytrap-based extortion racket has been busted in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut, police said on Saturday.

Two accused have been arrested, while a search is underway to arrest two more members of the five-member gang.

The case came to the fore after a resident named Neeraj Pal alleged that he was lured into a honeytrap through a fake female profile, threatened with fabricated criminal charges and forced to transfer money.

Social media posts also claimed that the gang had been running a fake police outpost. However, police have rejected the claim, saying the accused operated from a rented office and not a police station.

VICTIM LURED THROUGH FAKE WOMAN PROFILE, FORCED TO PAY MONEY

According to police, the accused, Shashank Sharma, Rahul Pal and Akash, posed as a woman online and struck up a conversation with Neeraj. Over time, they established an intimate rapport and exchanged photographs with him.

After gaining his trust, they asked Neeraj to meet the woman in person. However, when he reached the designated location, two men approached him instead and demanded money to facilitate the meeting.

The accused then identified themselves as police personnel and journalists, threatened Neeraj with legal action and demanded Rs 2 lakh to settle the matter. They also forced him to transfer Rs 10,000 through Google Pay.

As per the complaint, they also recorded videos of Neeraj and further used them for deepfake purposes to blackmail him.

Following the incident, Neeraj approached the local police and lodged a complaint. Acting on the complaint, a special team constituted on the directions of the Senior Superintendent of Police launched an investigation and arrested Rahul Pal and Akash. Police said efforts are underway to trace the remaining accused.

During the investigation, the accused told investigators that they followed the same modus operandi for other targets. They identified targets through Instagram by creating fake female profiles, called them for a meeting, and then threatened them by impersonating fake police personnel and journalists.

FAKE POLICE EQUIPMENT, WALKIE-TALKIES, AND DOCUMENTS SEIZED

Police recovered a handful of items used by the accused to impersonate law enforcement officials and lend credibility to their operation.

The seized articles include a Maruti Alto car without a registration plate, a separate number plate, two mobile phones, a telephone set, a laptop, a tablet, a calculator, walkie-talkies, a PhonePe receiver box, a baton, a beat book, official-looking seals, nameplates, complaint applications, files and several other documents.

Police suspect these materials were used to convince people that they were dealing with genuine police officials before extorting money from them.

POLICE DENY REPORTS OF FAKE OUTPOST

Addressing speculation surrounding the case, senior cop Vinayak Gopal Bhonsle said the accused were not operating a fake police outpost.

"There was no fake police chowki. It was an office with 'Karyalaya' written outside it. Claims circulating on social media that a fake police outpost was being run are incorrect," he said.

Bhonsle said police registered an FIR immediately after receiving Neeraj Pal's complaint regarding the forced transfer of Rs 10,000.

"The accused created fake female identities to honeytrap people. Neeraj was called to their office, where he realised there was no woman. They recorded videos to blackmail him using fabricated allegations and demanded Rs 2 lakh. Two accused have been arrested, while two others remain absconding. They will be arrested soon," the officer said.

Police said the investigation is continuing to identify other possible survivors and determine whether the gang was involved in similar cases elsewhere in the region.

- Ends