New Delhi: In a daring heist reminiscent of the Bollywood film Special 26, Delhi police have arrested five individuals, including a government employee, for allegedly looting around 1 kilogram of gold from a jewellery workshop in central Delhi. The accused staged a fake raid by impersonating enforcement officials, a police official said on Friday.

According to authorities, the audacious incident took place on November 27 when the group, inspired by the film Special 26, executed a meticulously planned operation at a jewellery workshop located in the Karol Bagh–Dev Nagar belt. One of the accused wore a fake police uniform, while others posed as income tax officers, effectively duping the workshop staff into believing a legitimate raid was underway. During the raid, the gang confiscated mobile phones of workers, wiped CCTV footage, and escaped with the gold.

A senior police officer said that the heist was meticulously planned, with the accused using fake ID cards and lanyards marked with “Delhi Police” to lend credibility to their masquerade. The team then fled the scene, prompting an intense 72-hour manhunt across Delhi-NCR and multiple districts of Haryana.

The operation to apprehend the suspects covered over 1,200 kilometers, including areas such as Bahadurgarh, Gurugram, Sonipat, Panipat, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Hisar, and Jind. Investigators scanned footage from over 250 CCTV cameras and deployed advanced technical surveillance to track the movements of the gang across the region.

Following these efforts, police first arrested Sandeep, a native of Jind residing in Bhopal, from Bahadurgarh on December 2. Sandeep had claimed to be an Officer on Special Duty in the Madhya Pradesh government, a claim that is still being verified. Interrogation of Sandeep led authorities to arrest four additional suspects: Rakesh Sharma from Rohtak, Shaminder Pal Singh and Lavpreet Singh from Hisar, and Parvinder from Delhi, who is identified as the government employee.

During searches and investigations, police recovered 435.03 grams of the stolen gold, along with ₹3.97 lakh in cash, three vehicles used in the crime including an SUV, and five fake ID card holders with lanyards bearing Delhi Police markings. The fake police uniform and disguises used during the raid were also seized.

Investigators said that Parvinder, the Delhi government employee, and Sandeep had reportedly devised the plan after learning from an associate that jewellery workshops in the Karol Bagh–Dev Nagar area routinely handled large quantities of gold. The gang then acquired the necessary props—fake ID cards, lanyards, and uniforms—to simulate an authentic enforcement operation before executing the robbery.

Following the heist, the gold was divided among the gang members, with Sandeep allegedly selling 428 grams of the stolen gold and distributing proceeds totaling approximately ₹25.5 lakh. Some accomplices, including Akram, who is linked to Parvinder, remain absconding. Police efforts are ongoing to trace the remaining stolen gold and apprehend Akram, Suresh alias Jammal, and Naveen alias Kala.

The police described the operation as highly organized, highlighting the lengths to which the accused went to mimic government officials convincingly. Such impersonation not only enabled the gang to conduct the raid without immediate suspicion but also caused serious alarm and confusion among the jewellery workshop employees, delaying any timely intervention.

Authorities emphasized that the presence of a government employee within the gang adds another layer of concern, underscoring the potential insider knowledge or administrative familiarity that could have assisted the execution of the heist. The investigation is ongoing to determine the exact role of each accused and to recover the remaining portion of the gold.

This case has drawn attention for its cinematic inspiration, echoing the plot of the 2013 film Special 26, which revolves around a group of conmen posing as CBI officers to carry out heists. However, in this real-life incident, the stakes were extremely high, involving significant property loss, the involvement of a government employee, and the potential for more accomplices still at large.

Police have urged the public and businesses to exercise caution, verify the credentials of any enforcement officials conducting raids, and report suspicious activity immediately. This incident has also highlighted the need for tighter security protocols at jewellery workshops, especially in areas handling large quantities of gold and cash.

The arrested suspects are currently in police custody and are being interrogated to gather further intelligence on the planning and execution of the crime. Authorities are optimistic that the absconding members of the gang will be apprehended soon, and the remainder of the stolen gold will be recovered.

The Delhi Police case serves as a reminder of the sophistication of organized crime, where real-life heists are increasingly inspired by cinematic portrayals, and reinforces the importance of vigilance, both from law enforcement and the public, to prevent such incidents in the future.