Mumbai Crime: Andheri Police Arrest Serial Cheat Targeting Devotees Outside Temples And Mosques; 30 Cases Solved

Mumbai, Feb 25: Andheri Police arrested an Irani national, Wasim Abbas Siraj alias Wasim Jafri alias Wasim Irani, for allegedly duping senior citizens of their valuables by posing as a jeweller and tricking them into handing over their ornaments. Police said they solved 30 cases with his arrest from Kalyan.

DCP (Zone X) Datta Nalawade said Siraj cheated elderly people and women on the pretext of donating to a temple or mosque. He said Andheri Police nabbed the accused and solved 30 cases of fraud in Mumbai city and suburbs.

Modus operandi and latest incident

The arrest was made by the crime detection team of Andheri Police through technical analysis and intelligence inputs. According to police, the latest incident occurred on February 8, 2026, at around 2:30 pm in Andheri, when the accused approached a complainant and asked for directions to a mosque.

He claimed that he had recently opened a jewellery shop and wanted to offer a donation. To gain the victim’s trust, he handed over two ₹500 notes and then took the victim’s one-tola gold chain under the pretext of placing flowers on it for prayer. He then fled the spot with the chain.

A case was registered under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). During the investigation, police examined CCTV footage, conducted technical analysis and gathered confidential information, which led to the arrest of the accused from Adivali in Kalyan East.

He has been identified as Basim Abbas Siraj alias Wasim Jafri alias Wasim Irani (35), a resident of the Ambivli area. He was arrested on February 17, 2026, and is currently in judicial custody. Police have recovered a stolen one-tola gold chain from his possession.

Multiple cases across states

Police said the accused has multiple cases of theft and cheating registered against him in Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Surat and Telangana. Several cases registered at Andheri, Trombay, MIDC, Vile Parle, Dahisar, Jogeshwari, Vanrai, Kurar and Meghwadi police stations have also been solved following his arrest.

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Investigators revealed that the accused was hiding in a rented house in Kalyan and would flee on a motorcycle after committing crimes. His modus operandi involved approaching elderly devotees outside temples and mosques, offering prayers or blessings using flowers, and cleverly swapping or stealing their gold chains. Police officials said the arrest is a significant breakthrough, and further investigation is underway.

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