Mumbai: A week after four men were arrested for posing as members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to extort a Vile Parle jeweller, police have apprehended the alleged mastermind, a 30-year-old school dropout from Dhanbad, Jharkhand.
Ansari Worked in Mumbai Briefly Before Diwali
The accused, identified as Imtiyaz Alam Ansari, was tracked down through technical surveillance and arrested on February 21. Investigators said Ansari had previously worked in Mumbai for three months before Diwali last year and later returned to Jharkhand. Police are now probing how he accessed the jeweller’s contact details.
Earlier on February 17, the police arrested Deepak Dangol, 19, Faizan Khan, 27, Majid Khan, 21, and Sahil Shaikh, 20, for allegedly collecting the ransom. Their interrogation led officers to Ansari, who is suspected to have coordinated the operation from Dhanbad and allegedly has links to the infamous Jamtara cyber fraud network.
UK-Based SIM Card Used to Send Threatening Messages
According to investigators, Ansari used a UK-based SIM card to threaten 46-year-old jeweller Ajit Jain. Between February 12 and 16, Jain received over 20 WhatsApp messages and at least six calls demanding Rs20 lakh, with threats of deadly consequences if he failed to comply. One of the messages read, “20 lakh cash firauti tumhare se chahiye… Goli khane ka hai ya Na m jawab Chahiye, Lawrence Bishnoi Gang Canada.”
After Jain approached the police, the caller reduced the demand to Rs5 lakh and instructed him to deliver the money near Lokmanya Tilak Terminus in Kurla on February 17, using the code word “Lalpari.” Jain’s employees reached the designated spot near the Haldiram parking lot with the cash-filled bag.
Dramatic Chase
At around 4.30pm, four men approached, repeated the code word twice and took the bag. Unaware that plainclothes officers were keeping watch, the suspects attempted to flee in an autorickshaw but were chased for nearly 200 metres before being caught in a dramatic pursuit.
All five accused are set to be produced before a local court on Monday following the completion of police custody. Further investigation into suspected Jamtara links and the use of international SIM cards is underway.
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