Police have arrested 16 people including seven women for their alleged involvement in duping people in the pretext of running a friendship club, a senior officer of Kolkata Police said today.
Acting on the complaint of a victim, police yesterday conducted a raid at a flat at Kasba area and arrested the 16, who hail from Howrah and North and South 24 Parganas districts, he said.
"The accused persons used to advertise in leading newspapers to lure people into getting them engaged as escorts with an monthly income between Rs 15000 to Rs 20000," the IPS said about the modus operandi.
On getting a call from a male job seeker they used to ask him to deposit multiple amounts for registration, medical check ups and commission for the proposed income from lady clients, he elaborated.
"Once the money was deposited the accused used to intimidate the caller posing as police officers of Kolkata Police cyber crime cell and threatening to arrest him for trying to establish illicit relationship with ladies unless a fine of Rs 20000 was paid," the officer said.
During the raid, 53 mobile phones, 75 SIM cards, two cordless handsets, several rubber stamps of different companies and a vehicle have been seized from them, he added.
When produced at a city court, the accused were remanded to police custody till Monday.
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