Thane police have finally nabbed a man who mimicked women to dupe jewellers, kirana store owners, and co-operative banks based in Mumbai, Thane, and Tulinj. The cops have recovered cash and gold jewellery worth Rs 7 lakh from him.

On April 29, at around 8 pm, Mukul Dahiwal of Bhushan jewellers from Pachpakhadi, Thane, got a call from a woman called Dr Swati from Aadhar hospital. The lady told him that she wanted to buy gold bangles from him and had Rs 1 lakh in Rs 2000 denomination notes.

"The lady said that she would pay him Rs 50,000 in advance and he would have to pay her Rs 50,000 back as change for the Rs 1 lakh she had with her," said a cop from Naupada Police Station, Thane. She asked him to come to her hospital with the cash and when he reached the venue, an unknown person met him.

"The man told him that he is a staffer from the hospital and that the doctor has left for her residence which is behind the hospital," said the cop. He also told Dahiwal to pay him the Rs 50,000 as he needs to give the amount to a patient and meet the doctor at her house. The jeweller obliged and when he went to meet the doctor he learned, no such person exists. He then lodged a complaint with Naupada Police.

Through technical analysis the cops managed to nab Manish Ambekar, 40, the fraudster, from Panvel on December 15. Ambekar has duped multiple jewellers, co-operative bankers, and general store owners in Thane and Mumbai have cases registered against him at Naupada, Kalwa, Wagle estate, and Bhandup since 2015. He is now in police custody.

HISORY-SHEETER

• The fraudster has duped multiple jewellers, co-operative bankers, and general store owners in Thane and Mumbai. There are cases registered against him at Naupada, Kalwa, Wagle estate, and Bhandup since 2015