The Shamshabad Zone Task Force, in coordination with the Rajendranagar Police, has arrested a four member gang accused of cheating people by claiming that hidden treasure or “buried funds” existed beneath their houses.
Police arrested four accused persons and seized two cars, one auto rickshaw, two motorcycles, four mobile phones, 25 fake gold plated coins, 6 kg of coal, 4 kg of clay and various items allegedly used during rituals.
The arrested accused have been identified as Mohammad Munawar alias Munna (36), Syed Ali Ashraf (40), Mohammad Haji (25) and Mohammad Salman (29). Police said that the main accused, Munawar, had previously been involved in a cheating case registered at Begambazar Police Station.
How the Gang Carried Out the Fraud
- According to the police, Munawar allegedly claimed to possess special knowledge or powers to identify and recover hidden treasures buried under houses. The gang allegedly used this claim to gain the confidence of unsuspecting victims.
- The accused would reportedly first dig a pit and secretly place a bag containing coal and fake gold plated coins inside it. They would then conduct rituals at the location and convince the victims that the material recovered from the ground was connected to hidden treasure.
- After performing the rituals, the accused allegedly told the victims that the coal would take time to transform into gold and demanded money in the process.
- During the investigation, police reportedly found evidence suggesting that the gang had cheated around 11 people and collected as much as ₹1 crore through the fraudulent scheme.
Vehicles, Fake Gold and Ritual Material Seized
Police recovered the following items from the accused:
- 2 cars
- 1 auto rickshaw
- 2 motorcycles
- 4 mobile phones
- 25 fake gold plated coins
- 6 kg coal
- 4 kg clay
- Various pooja and ritual items
The recovered material is believed to have been used to convince victims that buried treasure had been discovered.
Case Registered
- A case has been registered at Rajendranagar Police Station under Crime No. 916/2026, invoking Sections 318(4), 351(2), 61(2) read with 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
- Police said the investigation is continuing and further details regarding the victims and the extent of the fraud are being verified.
Police Warn Public Against “Hidden Treasure” Scams
- Police have appealed to the public not to trust individuals who claim to possess special powers to locate or recover hidden treasure.
- Authorities warned that fraudsters may use fake gold, rituals, staged discoveries and other tricks to gain victims confidence and extract large amounts of money.
- People who come across such suspicious activities have been urged to immediately inform the police rather than handing over money to such individuals.
- The operation was carried out by Shamshabad Zone Task Force Inspector K. Ravi, SI L.K. Mansoor Ali, Narsingarao, S. Seshu and other staff in coordination with the Rajendranagar Police.
