Archive · 21 Sep 2026
Police Arrest Two Accused in Digital Arrest Gold Extortion
Police arrested two men accused of pretending to be police officers.
They allegedly called gold traders and threatened them with arrest.
One man used a picture of himself wearing a police uniform on WhatsApp and Truecaller.
He told a trader that the trader had bought stolen gold.
The trader was asked to send money through a QR code.
Police said the trader sent ₹88,026.
Investigators said the two men collected about ₹4.20 lakh from traders in two states.
Police also said the men had been involved in similar cases before.
People who receive suspicious calls should not send money and should call 1930 if they are cheated.
Kesamudram police arrested Sheikh Irfan and Chintalacheruvu Prashanth for allegedly extorting money from gold traders.
Irfan allegedly used a police-uniform photograph on WhatsApp and Truecaller to impersonate an officer.
A gold trader transferred ₹88,026 after being threatened with arrest over allegedly handling stolen gold.
Police said the accused collected about ₹4.20 lakh from traders in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh between August 15 and September 15.
Police said the men had faced similar cases and advised cyber-fraud victims to call 1930.
- Who
- Sheikh Irfan and Chintalacheruvu Prashanth, according to Kesamudram police.
- What
- They were arrested for allegedly impersonating police officers and extorting money from gold traders through digital-arrest threats.
- When
- The alleged collection occurred between August 15 and September 15; the accused were arrested on September 20.
- Where
- Kesamudram police investigated the case, involving alleged victims in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
- Why
- Police said the accused used false police identities, arrest threats and QR-code payments to obtain money.
- Accused
- Sheikh Irfan, 29, and Chintalacheruvu Prashanth, 26
- Arresting agency
- Kesamudram police
- Reported victim payment
- ₹88,026 transferred through a QR code
- Alleged total collection
- About ₹4.20 lakh
- Reported period
- August 15 to September 15
- Items seized
- A police uniform and a mobile phone
- Cybercrime helpline
- 1930
