Andhra Pradesh: Rs 7 lakhs seized from note exchangers

Nellore: Renigunta police apprehended nine members of a 11-member gang involved in cheating people by offering Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes worth 30 percent more to the new Rs 2,000 notes and stealing the cash.

According to Renigunta DSP Nanjundappa, the gang belonging to Stuvartpuram in Guntur district struck a deal with Dileep and Srikanth of Tirupati to exchange Rs 10 lakhs worth of new Rs 2,000 notes for the demonetised notes worth Rs 33 lakhs.

Since the entire Tirupati is covered by CC Cameras of Police department, the gang asked Dileep and Srikanth to come to Ellamma temple in Renigunta to exchange the notes.

As agreed, the duo arrived at the spot on December 15 but some persons posing as police came in a Tavera vehicle and beaten up the two before taking away the cash as well as gold chains they were wearing.

Both Dileep and Srikanth as well as other gang took to their heels to escape from the police, but the former realised that they were taken for a ride when they noticed that the gang also boarded the same vehicle in which the police came.

They smashed the windshield of the vehicle by pelting stones but the gang managed to escape. Based on a complaint from the victims, Renigunta CI K. Sainadh and his team held 9 members of the gang and recovered Rs 7 lakhs.

Mr Sainadh said the gang had also cheated some persons with same modus operandi at Tiruchanoor police limits on December 11.

He said they are also investigating into the case related to '30 lakhs worth of '2,000 notes secured by Dileep and Srikanth.

He said that many such incidents were taking place but only a few are reported to police while appealing to victims to approach them to save the gullible from such gangs.