A group of criminals in India who have been running a fake police station for eight months, 500 meters from the house of the city’s police chief, have been arrested and arrested on suspicion of extortion, a police officer said Thursday (August 18).

At least six gang members, including two women, were arrested when a real police officer spotted two men in uniform on Wednesday whose homemade weapons raised his suspicions. “An investigation is ongoing in this case. More information will be revealedDC police officer Srivastava told AFP.

Common fear

According to DC Srivastava, the gang leader is on the run but everything is being done to find and catch him. The fake police station has been operating for eight months. He was placed in a guesthouse, located about 500 meters from the residence of the City Police Chief in the city of Banka, in Bihar state.

The scammers employ men and women from this rural area, for a wage of about five hundred rupees (6.20 euros) a day, which is their temporary police station staff,”officer», wearing a uniform with an officer’s badge. Many residents, believing they are dealing with an actual police station, may have been victims of extortion when they came to file a complaint or ask for help.

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Incidents where scammers or gangs disguise themselves as government agents, including police and military officers, are common in India. The general fear of the authorities responsible for enforcing the law is such that people rarely dare to question their identity. On the other hand, creating a police station from scratch is a much more extraordinary thing.

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