Uttar Pradesh police arrest eight criminals in driver‑extortion and highway robbery busts

Police in Uttar Pradesh arrested four men in Banda who pretended to be senior district magistrate, transport and mining officials. They halted commercial vehicles, threatened seizure of the vehicles and extorted Rs 500‑1,000 from drivers. The gang was caught after a police team was alerted, and investigators seized cash, mobile phones, a vehicle and forged documents.

In a separate operation in Fatehpur district, police conducting a checkpoint on the Prayagraj‑Kanpur national highway detained four members of a gang that robbed truck drivers sleeping in their cabins. The suspects stole cash, mobile phones and documents, and opened fire on officers before being overpowered. Weapons, mobile phones, cash and SIM cards were recovered.

Both incidents highlight coordinated police actions against criminal networks that target motorists on highways and in towns across the state.