A child, who allegedly left school after Class IV, went on to head an organised interstate crime syndicate accused of impersonating Crime Branch officials to rob and cheat people across Delhi and several other states, according to officials.
The Central District police have booked Nasir Hafiz Khan, alias Irani, alias Sameer, under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), alleging that he led the so-called “Irani Gang” involved in a series of robberies and cheating cases for financial gain.
The police said Khan, originally from Mumbai, entered the world of crime at a young age after dropping out of school. Over the years, investigators allege, he developed a network that specialised in impersonating law enforcement officers, particularly Crime Branch personnel, to deceive victims before stealing cash, gold and other valuables.
The investigation that led to the invocation of MCOCA began with a robbery case registered at the DBG Road police station in 2025 where a sum of Rs 18.84 lakh was allegedly looted. During the probe, the police claimed to have uncovered evidence suggesting the robbery was part of a larger organised criminal enterprise headed by Khan.
Officials said Khan had previously been booked under MCOCA by the Mumbai Police and remained in judicial custody till August 2024. Soon after his release, he allegedly resumed criminal activities, including the Delhi robbery and multiple cheating cases in Nagpur involving gold jewellery.
Investigators also allege that he later targeted a senior citizen in Ajmer, Rajasthan, cheating her of around 10 tolas of gold valued at nearly Rs 40 lakh.
After months of investigation involving analysis of thousands of CCTV clips, technical surveillance and field intelligence, the Delhi Police arrested Khan on January 3, 2026. During the operation, investigators recovered multiple mobile phones, Internet dongles, a vehicle allegedly purchased using proceeds of crime, a bag allegedly used in the robbery and other evidence.
According to the police, Khan has been linked to around 38 criminal cases across Delhi, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. They claim that courts have already taken cognisance in several of these cases, meeting the legal threshold of “continuing unlawful activity” required for invoking MCOCA.
Based on the evidence, the competent authority approved action under Section 23(1)(a) of MCOCA, leading to the registration of a fresh case against the alleged organised crime syndicate.
