A special team of the City Task Force (CTF) nabbed two key members of a six-member gang here on Monday and recovered Rs. 36 lakh in cash and seized two cars, two mobile phones and nine duplicate gold biscuits.

The arrested were identified as Jami Suresh Kumar of Dabagardens area and Budi Jagadish of S. Kota mandal. The absconding members are Nageswara Rao, Kondala Rao, Giri, Mohan and Krishna.

According to Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police P.V. Ravi Kumar, the accused would lure gullible persons with an Iridium bowl, stating that it was an antique piece and had supernatural power. Claiming that the bowl was an ‘Ashtalakshmi bowl’ the gang members lured A. Satya Prasad of Visalakshi Nagar and sold it for Rs. 38 lakh.

According to CTF ACP I. Chittibabu, the victim was asked to come to Lambasingi with the cash and was taken to an interior place where the bowl was sold to him.

As per the complainant, on return, his car was stopped by the Narsipatnam police on suspicion that he was ferrying ganja and the bowl was confiscated.

Having lost both the bowl and the money, he approached the CTF and lodged a complaint, said CTF Inspector Illyas Mohammed.

Within 24 hours the main accused were nabbed, but the remaining four persons were still at large and the hunt was on, said ACP Chittibabu.

According to Illyas, the main accused Suresh Kumar befriended the victim while playing shuttle badminton at Swarna Bharati Stadium and trapped him with good words.

Commissioner of Police Amit Garg said that people should not fall prey to such beliefs.