NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police have successfully dismantled a fraudulent operation known as the ‘Dollar Gang’, apprehending four illegal immigrants from Bangladesh connected to numerous scams, as confirmed by an official on Wednesday. The syndicate functioned in organized teams, assigning distinct roles to its members: "Tez Baaz" attracted victims, "Mistri" handled negotiations, "Pagal" exchanged counterfeit currency for real money, "Thekedar" funded the schemes, and "Pahredaar" provided security for the gang.
The investigation was prompted when a complainant reported being cheated out of Rs 2 lakh in a fraudulent dollar exchange scheme. The victim was approached at Dhaula Kuan by an unidentified individual who proposed to sell a large volume of US dollar notes at a reduced price, as stated by the officer.
"Enticed by the offer, the complainant agreed to the transaction and met the accused at Samrat Cinema in Shakurpur on February 16. Instead of authentic currency, the victim received a bag filled with newspapers, handkerchiefs, and soap bars disguised as money," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) Bhisham Singh.
Upon receiving the complaint, an FIR was registered at the Subhash Place Police Station, and a specialized team was constituted for the investigation. Following an analysis of CCTV footage and technical surveillance, investigators tracked the culprits to Dhundhahera village in Gurugram, Haryana.
A meticulously planned operation led to the arrest of four principal members of the gang: Salim Khan (41) from West Bengal, Ali Hasan (36) who had prior involvement in a cheating case, Kalam (28), also from West Bengal, and Dholu Sheikh (38), who had been involved in another cheating case, according to DCP Singh.
"All four individuals were found to be illegal Bangladeshi immigrants using fake Aadhaar cards for identification purposes. The Delhi Police have contacted the UIDAI to cancel their Aadhaar cards and initiated deportation processes with the FRRO," DCP Singh added.
Authorities reported the recovery of eight US dollar notes, two Bangladeshi Taka notes, Rs 40,300 in cash, two rolls of newspaper used for deception, and eleven mobile phones from their possession.
The police mentioned that this operation has helped resolve at least four other cheating cases. Investigations are ongoing to identify additional associates and ensure the deportation of the illegal migrants.
