Mumbai police launch operation to catch fake cops, draw a blank

Fake policemen have managed to hoodwink real cops during a massive operation launched to nab them.

A team of 50 police personnel in a secret operation had planned a blitzkrieg-like raid at a hamlet in Ambivali near Kalyan. Apart from that, an additional force was also going to be put to use as back-up in the raid, the sources said.

The raid was planned after two fake cops belonging to the Baluchi tribe were arrested. The duo revealed about their tribe’s involvement in the racket.

Over 8,000 Baluchis have settled in the hamlet since several decades. The investigators revealed that the suspects from the tribe have trained themselves to emulate policemen. 

Fake cops have been creating a nuisance in the city. On an average, two cases of cheating by fake cops conning women and senior citizens are recorded every day. Therefore, personnel from the local police, crime branch and special squads were ordered to take drastic steps.

Sources revealed that the raid was therefore meticulously planned to the last detail. Undercover cops scanned the area before finalising the date and time of the raid.

However, when they swooped upon the spot, the police found only senior citizens, women and children from the community. "It seemed that the information of the raid was leaked. The suspects managed to go underground,” said a senior crime branch official.
The police have not ruled out the possibility that the crucial information was passed on to the suspects by one of the cops.