Gang poses as tax officers, walks out with Rs30 million in jewellery

Dubai: Six people have been arrested after a gang allegedly posed as tax officials and staged a fake raid on a businessman’s home in India, making off with gold and silver jewellery worth about Rs30 million ($338,000).

The daylight robbery took place in Nasirabad in Rajasthan’s Ajmer district on Friday, according to police.

Around nine to 10 people arrived at the house in Mahesh Vihar Colony near the Dilwara bypass at about 11.30am, Hindustan Times reported, citing police.

The group allegedly displayed fake identity cards and claimed to be officers from India’s Income Tax Department conducting an official search.

Five of the suspects entered the house while another waited in a black SUV, according to the Times of India.

CCTV footage showed men dressed in white and wearing gloves outside the property.

Police said the group took family members’ mobile phones and searched the house for about 14 minutes before collecting jewellery and claiming the valuables were being seized.

When a family member asked for a receipt, the suspects allegedly pushed him aside and fled.

Police were alerted and set up several teams to track the group.

Investigators examined CCTV footage from the house and surrounding areas, analysed technical evidence and traced the suspects’ movements.

Ajmer Superintendent of Police Harshvardhan Agrawala said police arrested six people within about three hours.

Police said preliminary investigations indicated the robbery had been planned for more than a month.

One suspect worked at the family’s home between 2016 and 2021, while another knew the businessman through work, police said.

Investigators believe their familiarity with the family and its financial circumstances may have helped the group plan the alleged raid.

Police are investigating whether other people were involved and whether the suspects have links to similar crimes.