Neat job makes police suspect their own men in such crimes

With a spate of incidents of fake policemen cheating citizens of their ornaments, the crime branch officers too have swung into action.

The officers are going through lists of suspended police personnel, who they suspect might be involved in the racket. They are also probing whether one of their own men, who are still in force, are leaking information to the accused.

Investigators said it has been found that the fake policemen have appearance and features similar to real ones. “There is a great possibility of involvement of suspended policemen or even those who are still working. We are probing on that angle too,” said a senior crime branch officer.

Recently, a constable posted at the Navi Mumbai police station was booked for his involvement in the fake police racket, in which five persons were arrested.

The crime is committed with professionalism and only those who know policing can act in such a manner. When the police lay a trap at a particular location, the fake cops target their victims at another spot.

The police suspect that their own men leak out information. “There could be someone feeding information to the fake cops,” said another crime branch officer. The police have formed teams to crack down on people posing as policemen. Posters have been put up across the city to create awareness among the citizens.

The police are conducting seminars to educate people about fake and genuine policemen.