September 03 2021
An Iranian family of nine, including three women, was arrested in southern India for robbing a Somali by posing as “central police.”
The victim, Ali Ahmed Muhamed, 61, was in the city of Chennai for eye treatment. The incident happened during broad daylight July 13 when he and a friend were traveling in a cab, according to the Daily Thanthi of Chennai.
A black car coming from the opposite direction blocked Muhamed’s cab around 2:30 p.m. Three men alighted from the car and allegedly told the victims they were “central police” and that they had received information drugs were being smuggled in the car.
The trio then grabbed the Somali’s wallet and took away 3,800 US dollars without touching the Indian currency and immediately sped away in their car. Police launched a hunt for the gang with the help of security camera footage. The gang was traced to a hotel.
There were six men, three women and three children aged 2, 8 and 9 years in the hotel room. Police said the Iranian family moved to Chennai a month earlier from Delhi to indulge in robberies. Police said that the family settled in Delhi at least a decade ago, though they claim to have moved to the national capital in 2019.