City police busts interstate racket in port city

The Port City Police have busted an interstate racket by arresting five people who allegedly duped traders by selling polished stones as ‘precious gemstones’. The gang members used to target gold traders from the district and also those from Kerala and Karnataka by luring them with ‘precious gemstones’ at cheaper rates, City Police Commissioner J Purnachandra Rao told reporters here today. They were nabbed from their underground workshop on Kirlamopudi Layout yesterday and 700 fake gems in 10 colours estimated at Rs 1.5 lakh, a gemstone cutter and polisher, a machine and five cellphones were seized from them. UNI