11-07-2025
Duo arrested for robbing elderly women with fake currency scheme
Hyderabad: Detectives from the Hyderabad Commissioner's Task Force, South West Zone team, working with Mangalhat police, have apprehended two offenders who forcibly took cash from an elderly lady and replaced her genuine currency with children's play notes. Police seized Rs 20,000 in cash and an auto-rickshaw from their possession.
Police arrested Syed Waseemuddin (34), of Bada Bazar, Yakutpura, a native of Amravati, Maharashtra state, and Mohd Azam Ali Imran (34), of Parda Gate, Vatepally, both auto-rickshaw drivers.
According to police, Waseemuddin and Azam were addicted to alcohol, smoking, and other undesirable habits. The income they earned from their driving was insufficient to support their extravagant lifestyles. 'Both decided to earn easy money and hatched a plan to cheat or commit theft by targeting innocent elderly ladies,' stated Ande Srinivasa Rao, Additional Deputy Commissioner of the Task Force. 'They bought Rs 500 children's play notes from a stationery shop at Charminar and then replaced the original cash of their victims with dummy currency.'
The Deputy Commissioner explained that the accused targeted elderly ladies walking alone, offering them a free ride to a nearby destination. Once a lady accepted the offer, one of the accused would distract the victim while the other swiftly replaced her original cash with dummy Rs 500 notes.
In another instance, the accused targeted an elderly lady who had just withdrawn cash from an SBI bank. They offered her a free ride, and one of the accused asked for her handbag, claiming they would add more cash to it. Although the victim was hesitant, one of the accused forcibly took the handbag. As she objected, the accused pretended to add more money and handed the bag to his accomplice, who then replaced the original cash with dummy Rs 500 notes.
Acting on a tip-off, police apprehended the duo and seized net cash of Rs 20,000 and the passenger auto-rickshaw from their possession.
