Two held for allegedly duping jewellery manufacturers

City crime branch sleuths on Wednesday arrested two persons, who have been allegedly duping Mumbai-based jewellery manufacturers of lakhs of rupees. According to the police, one of the accused would join manufacturing units as a karigar (worker) and introduce his boss to the other accused claiming that he is a dealer. Once the victims give the jewellery to the 'dealer' that needs to be sold, the so-called dealer would flee with it and later so would the karigar.

The duo has been identified as Ashok Jiwani alias Dinesh, 33, and Pradeep Pal alias Arun alias Tapan, 28.

On receipt of specific information that two persons involved in cheating several jewellery manufacturers, officers Gopika Jahagirdar, Ravindra Chindarkar, Sachin Khanvilkar and S Ranshivre from Unit X of crime branch, apprehended Jiwani and Pal, near Vaibhav Hotel in Andheri (E).

"Their modus operandi was that Pal, a karigar would join a jewellery manufacturing unit. After gaining confidence of his employer, he would introduce Jiwani as a dealer. Pal would convince his employer that Jiwani could get them good price. Once the employer gives the jewellery to Jiwani, both would disappear," said a crime branch officer.

He added that, this year, Jiwani has duped an LT Marg-based jewellery manufacturer of Rs13 lakh worth jewellery, a DB Marg-based manufacturer to Rs 8 lakh and a Kandivli-based manufacturer to Rs 12 lakh.