A 63-year-old retired bank employee in Ahmedabad allegedly lost Rs 24 lakh after being lured into a honeytrap by a woman he had befriended on Facebook and subsequently threatened with a fake narcotics case. Police said the woman, identified as Payal, arranged to meet the retired banker, after which two men posing as police officers confronted him and allegedly warned that he would be implicated in a drug case unless he paid them money.

The incident began in October 2025 when the retired employee, who lives in Ahmedabad's Satellite area, connected with Payal through Facebook. The two began communicating and eventually became friends. Payal later invited him to meet her, and when he arrived at the agreed location, she got into his car. Police said that within about 10 seconds, two men arrived on a motorcycle and presented themselves as police officers.

According to the police, the men told the retired banker that Payal's name had emerged in a narcotics-related case and threatened to involve him as well. The accused allegedly used the threat of a fabricated criminal case to extort money from the man. Over several days, the retired employee paid a total of Rs 24 lakh, hoping that the payments would bring an end to the threats and prevent the alleged case from being pursued against him.

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The accused stopped contacting him for some time after receiving the money, but the situation resurfaced on October 5 when the group allegedly demanded another Rs 7 lakh. Frustrated by the continued demands, the retired banker told his son about the incident. The family then approached the police, who worked with the victim to plan a trap during another payment. The man agreed to pay Rs 1 lakh and was asked to meet the accused at Pakwan Circle.

When the retired employee reached the location, three men reportedly arrived to collect the money. Instead of immediately handing over the cash, he asked them to provide a written assurance that the matter would be closed and that they would not contact him again. The demand reportedly caught the men off guard, with two of them fleeing while the third took the bag containing Rs 1 lakh. The victim then alerted the police control room, following which officers cordoned off the area and searched for the suspect based on his description.

Police subsequently arrested the man carrying the cash bag and identified him as Alpesh Solanki. Investigators said Solanki had arrived with two other men, identified as Kishan alias Kano Parma and another accused known as Lala from Mehsana, both of whom are currently absconding. Payal, who allegedly befriended the retired employee and arranged the meeting, is also absconding. Police are searching for the three and investigating the alleged honeytrap and extortion network, including whether others may have been targeted through a similar fake narcotics case threat.

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