Hyderabad: The special team of Cyber Crime Station arrested a 34-year-old car driver in an attention diversion case. The suspect was identified as Aftab Ahmed Shaik, son of late Ahmed Shaik, and a resident of Rein Bazaar.

Police said he targeted women walking down roads. He goes to their houses saying he wanted to give them gifts they had won in draws.

“He tells the women that they have won things like bikes, refrigerator etc. He then asks them for the voucher and when they tell him that there is no such thing with them, he says that he cannot arrange the gift without it. Later, if the women show interest in the gift he asks them to get a gold purchase bill and with that bill they can redeem the gift. He says that he can arrange receipts from a jewellery shop known to him,” said detective department deputy commissioner of police Avinash Mohanty.

“He then lures them with sweet words and after getting them interested he escorts them to a nearby gold shop and keeps the woman at a distance. After taking gold ornaments from them he goes inside the shop and acts as if he knows the shop owner and escapes with the gold,” the deputy commissioner added.

Aftab Ahmed Shaik was earlier convicted in a rape case in Mumbai and was lodged at the Kolhapur Central Jail for five-and-a-half-years. He was released in September 2016.

“He committed a series of offenses since January in Hyderabad,” said Mr Mohanty. He sells the stolen gold in jewellery and pawn broker shops in Ramanthapur, Amberpet, Saidabad areas.

Meanwhile, the Cyber Crime Station has advised the public not to believe the words of unknown persons who say that they had got a gift for recharging their mobile phone, or go along with unknown persons. He asked women not to believe the claim that they can get gifts or gold made by unknown persons in the name of any organisation. Mr Mohanty said that if anyone comes across such persons they must contact the police immediately.