Mumbai: A 40-year-old man from Madhya Pradesh named Gaurav Singh, hailing from Bhopal, has been apprehended by Mumbai’s Anti Extortion Cell for his alleged involvement in deceiving, kidnapping and robbing the manager of a South Mumbai-based Angadia firm.

According to the police report, the total value associated with this crime amounts to over Rs 90 lakh, including ornaments of around Rs 85 lakh. The investigators are currently pursuing seven suspects who are believed to be connected to this incident.

Gaurav Singh collaborated with associates from cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Indore to target employees working at Angadia firms. These firms specialise in transporting cash and valuables while charging a commission for their services. Singh and his team would approach these employees with offers of commissions.

To gain their trust, Singh employed an approach. He would initially entrust Angadia employees with sums of money as a gesture of goodwill. Reward them with significant commissions. This was part of Singh’s plan, as explained by an officer. By sending amounts of cash that would later be retrieved by his accomplices in another state, Singh aimed to build trust among these employees.

In one instance documented by the Mumbai Crime Branch in March 2023, Singh engaged with Naveen Sharma, who worked as a manager at an Angadia company. Over a period of time, Singh transferred an amount exceeding Rs 2 crore to states through Sharma, rewarding him with a commission. Once Singh had gained Sharma’s trust, he started taking advantage of it by asking him to transfer money, pretending that it would be returned at a date.