Man Arrested After Alleged Facebook Honey Trap Targets Elderly Ahmedabad Resident
Police allege Facebook contacts were used to extort ₹24 lakh.
The Ahmedabad Police have arrested a 39-year-old man in connection with an alleged honey-trap and extortion case involving an older man who was reportedly targeted through Facebook. The accused, identified as Alpesh Solanki, was arrested by the Local Crime Branch (LCB) after police received information about an extortion attempt on October 5.
According to police, the complainant and his son were allegedly blackmailed by a group that had demanded money by threatening to implicate the older man in false cases. The gang had reportedly collected Rs 24 lakh from the complainant in several instalments as part of the alleged scheme. During the latest incident, the group allegedly demanded another Rs 7 lakh.
The matter came to light after the complainant contacted police when he became suspicious during the latest extortion attempt. A control-room message alerted Anandnagar Police Station that Rs 1 lakh had allegedly been taken from the complainant and his son. Following the alert, Deputy Commissioner of Police Shivam Verma directed officers to launch a coordinated operation in the area.
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LCB teams from Zone-7 conducted patrols and vehicle checks along the SG Highway while searching for the suspect. Police later located a man matching the description provided in the alert hiding under the Karnavati Bridge with a black bag. He was apprehended and Rs 1 lakh in cash was recovered from his possession.
During questioning, police alleged that Solanki and his associates had contacted the complainant through Facebook before using the alleged honey-trap scheme to extort money. Police said the accused threatened the complainant with false criminal cases and collected Rs 24 lakh from him over time. Solanki was allegedly caught during an attempt to collect a further payment.
Police said two other suspects, Kishan alias Kanu Parmar of Botad and Lalo of Mehsana district, remain at large. Efforts are underway to trace them. Officers recovered Rs 1 lakh in cash, a black bag and a mobile phone, with the total seized property valued at Rs 1.05 lakh. Police have advised people to exercise caution while accepting unknown social media contacts and urged those facing blackmail or extortion demands to approach the authorities.
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