Extortion Gang Targeting SMEs Broken Up
The Ahmedabad Crime Branch arrested six individuals on June 16 in connection with a systematic extortion operation that had been targeting small and medium-sized manufacturing businesses in the Odhav, Narol, and Vatwa industrial zones for approximately 14 months.
The Gang’s Method of Operation
According to the Crime Branch investigation, the gang operated through a multi-stage intimidation cycle. In the first stage, businesses received phone calls from unknown numbers demanding “protection money” — typically between ₹2 lakh and ₹10 lakh depending on the business’s apparent turnover. In the second stage, if the demand was not met, the business owner received a physical visit from two or three gang members who engaged in property damage — overturning vehicles, breaking equipment, or smashing the establishment’s signage. The third stage, in cases where the business still refused to comply, involved threats against the owner’s family members.
The Underreporting Problem
Crime Branch officials noted that only a fraction of the businesses targeted had approached police, with most preferring to pay rather than risk retaliation. The investigation was triggered not by a complaint from a victim business but by an informant tip received through the Crime Branch’s confidential tip line.
The Arrested Accused
The six arrested individuals range in age from 22 to 38 and have prior criminal records involving previous extortion cases and a land dispute involving criminal intimidation. The Crime Branch has confirmed that the gang was connected to a larger network with links to a property dispute syndicate in the Ahmedabad outskirts, and that the investigation is ongoing. Cases have been registered under Sections 384, 385, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code.