Jaipur, Sep 30 : In a major breakthrough against organised crime, Jhalawar Police have busted the notorious Hemraj Suman gang, arresting 13 members, including one woman.

The gang, involved in crimes ranging from insurance fraud and honeytrap extortion to arms and drug smuggling, had been under police surveillance for months. Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar said that on September 24, the Kotwali Intelligence Officer filed a confidential report about the gang's activities.

The group allegedly financed tractors and other large vehicles in the names of poor farmers, destroyed them, and then lodged false theft reports to fraudulently claim lakhs in insurance.

The gang, led by history-sheeter Hemraj Suman of Sarola, also included associates from Uttar Pradesh.

Police devised a strategy and, under the directions of SP Kumar and ASP Chiranjilal Meena, deployed nearly 20 teams to raid locations in Jhalawar, Jhalrapatan, Sarola, and Kota.

During searches, police recovered a police uniform and shoes, wooden pipes, a typed rape complaint, passbooks and cheque books, forged vehicle documents, property papers, and fake number plates.

Hemraj's Swift Dzire car and his house in Dadiya yielded crucial evidence linking the gang to multiple frauds and blackmail attempts.

The gang was involved in insurance fraud in which vehicles were deliberately dismantled after being financed, followed by false theft cases to claim insurance.

Similarly, the gang engaged in crimes like honeytraps and blackmail cases, in which female members were used to trap influential individuals. Victims were threatened with fake rape complaints and police uniforms.

The other crimes of the gang were forging documents, illegal sale of vehicles, and smuggling drugs and weapons. The arrested include gang leader Hemraj Suman (44), along with Murari Lal Suman, Sitaram Meena, Seema Meena, Riyaz Pathan, Sohail Khan alias Ghasit, Mohammad Farooq Khan alias Monu, Yogendra Singh, Lekhraj Bhil, Purushottam Mali, Aman, Tosif, and Kalu alias Kamal Meena.

Police estimate that over 20-25 criminals from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh are linked to the gang. Dozens of serious criminal cases are already registered against Hemraj and his associates.

Investigations reveal that hundreds of tractors may have been destroyed in Jhalawar, Baran, and other regions as part of the fraud. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by DySPs Harshraj Singh Khareda and Prem Kumar is probing further, officials confirmed.

/IANS