Meerut, Oct. 7 -- The police have arrested five people, including two Uttar Pradesh police constables, for allegedly running an extortion racket that duped victims into handing over genuine currency in exchange for bundles of counterfeit notes. The arrested constables have been suspended, and a departmental inquiry has been ordered against them. A history-sheeter from the Bhawnapur police station is also among those taken into custody. The operation came to light after Irshad, a resident of the Mawana police station area, approached the police on Monday. He alleged that three men had stopped his motorcycle, threatened him with a country-made pistol and robbed him of Rs.50,000. Following an investigation into the complaint, police identified the suspects as Sajid, known as Sajid Pistol, Faizan and Abhishek, all residents of Bhawnapur. The three were subsequently arrested. During interrogation, they allegedly revealed the involvement of two constables posted at the Bhawnapur police station: Prasannchit, a native of Tikari Kalan village in Hathras district, and Ashish, from Nagla Mewa village in Hathras's Saipau area. After informing senior officers and receiving approval, police arrested the two constables. According to SP (Rural) Abhijeet Singh, the gang operated by luring victims with promises of tripling their money. To gain a victim's trust, the group would initially provide genuine currency notes, falsely claiming they were counterfeit. Once the victims were convinced the notes were genuine and encouraged to circulate them in the market, the gang would execute the scam. In subsequent transactions, the gang would prepare bundles of counterfeit currency, placing genuine notes only on the top and bottom to make the stacks appear authentic. The two constables allegedly played a role, remaining nearby during deals. Once the gang handed over the counterfeit bundles in exchange for the victim's genuine cash, the constables would intervene, using their authority to threaten the victims with arrest. By pretending to seize the counterfeit currency, they helped the gang retain the genuine money while ensuring the victims were too intimidated to report the crime. Following the disclosure, SSP BBGTS Murthy ordered a case, the suspension of the two constables and the initiation of departmental proceedings....