From setup to bust: How six Bengal men ran a fake police station in Noida

GAutam Budh Nagar police force feature arrested captain hicks men for allegedly running a sham power in the name of the “International Police & Crime Investigation Bureau” to mislead the public, impersonate government officials, and extort money using forged documents, fake IDs, and police-style insignia, officials said on Sunday.Acting on a tip-off, police raided a premises at BS-136, Sector 70, Noida, around midnight on Sunday, where the accused had set up an office resembling that of an official agency.They allegedly used police-like colors and logos, displayed forged certificates purportedly from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Ministry of Ayush, and Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, and claimed affiliation with Interpol, the International Human Rights Commission, and Eurasia Pol. They also claimed to have an office in the UK, police said.According to officials, the gang posed as public servants, collected donations via their website — www.intlpcrib.in — and displayed various national and international certificates online to appear legitimate. They kept multiple press ID cards, “international human rights” IDs, and official-looking stamps to influence and deceive people.“We successfully disrupted a well-orchestrated fraud operation. The accused had established a hoax office in Sector 70 under the guise of the ‘International Police & Crime Investigation Bureau,’ using police-like insignia and fabricated ministry documents to deceive the public and extort money. During the raid, we arrested six suspects and seized extensive evidence, including forged IDs, ministry certificates, cheque books, ATM cards, visiting cards, signboards, mobile phones, and ₹42,300 in cash,” said DCP Central Noida, Shakti Mohan Awasthi.He added that the gang had recently set up the office and had been operating for about 10 days after putting up boards resembling those of the police. The premises had been rented on June 4. “They were attempting to function as a parallel system to the police and deceive people,” Awasthi said.Since the office had only just started operations, police believe they had targeted only a handful of individuals so far. However, efforts are underway to identify more victims. “To create a misleading image, they used specific colors and emblems associated with law enforcement,” an official said.The accused have been identified as Bibhash Chandra Adhikari, a BA graduate from West Bengal currently residing in BS-136, Sector 70, Noida, along with his son Araghya Adhikari, a BA LLB graduate. Others include Babul Chandra Mandal (Class 12), Pintu Pal, 27 (Class 12), Samapda Mal, 29 (Class 12), and Ashish Kumar, 57 (Class 12), all originally from West Bengal and currently living in Sector 70.During the raid, police recovered several incriminating items. From Bibhash Chandra Adhikari, they seized three mobile phones (two black Oppo and one black Samsung Galaxy), six cheque books from various banks, 16 rubber stamps, a stamp pad, nine ID cards from different institutions, affiliation documents, three visiting cards, certificates, letterheads, envelopes, a trust deed, ATM cards, and ₹42,300 in cash. From Araghya Adhikari, police recovered one black mobile phone. From Babul Chandra Mandal, they seized a sky-blue Vivo mobile phone and an iPhone XR.A black Samsung mobile phone was recovered from Pintu Pal, a black Xiaomi mobile from Samapda Mal, and a brown iPhone from Ashish Kumar. According to police, the accused were operating in an organized manner to mislead people, project fake international affiliations, and illegally collect money.A case has been registered against them under Sections 204, 205, 318, 319, 336, 339, 338, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS); Sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act; and Sections 3 and 4 of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950. These charges pertain to forgery, cheating, impersonation, endangering safety, and the unlawful use of protected names or symbols.“The gang claimed affiliations with entities such as Interpol and even alleged they had a UK branch. They operated through a website and displayed numerous fake credentials to bolster their facade. Our investigation is ongoing, and we are examining their backgrounds, verifying affiliations, and identifying any additional accomplices or victims,” DCP Awasthi said.The accused have been sent to judicial custody, and further investigation is underway, police said.