HYDERABAD: Visuals captured on a CCTV camera helped the police nab the leader of an `attention diversion gang' near a bank at Ameerpet on Monday.

Sanjeevareddy Nagar Detective Inspector T. R. Padmanabam on Tuesday said the gang leader Ashmi Naser came to the city from Bidar ten days ago along with his three associates -- Ejaz, Zuber and Aziz -- and started committing offences by diverting the attention of bank customers.

The gang members had conned an elderly woman at the State Bank of Hyderabad in Jubilee Hills and fled after taking Rs. 10,000 from her a week ago. They struck at State Bank of India at Lal Bungalow in Ameerpet on the same day and vanished with Rs. 16,000 from a bank customer. The gang was involved in a similar case that was reported at ICICI bank at Khairatabad three days ago.

Photos prepared

The Inspector explained that photographs of the accused had been prepared with images caught on the CCTV cameras at ICICI bank and deployed separate police teams at all the banks in the twin cities. On Monday, the gang members came to Andhra Bank at Ameerpet and were planning to commit an offence.

The police team that was posted near the bank took Naser into custody while his three other accomplices fled from the spot. After being interrogated, Naser confessed to having committed the offences. "The gang used to con the bank customers by saying that they would help them in rectifying fake currency notes and steal cash," the Inspector said.

He said Rs. 10,000 cash was recovered from Naser's possession.

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