LAHORE, April 2: A gang of swindlers is extorting money from unsuspecting citizens through washing powder packets containing imitation jewellery.

The gang moves around in a Suzuki pickup. The swindlers get off the pickup with washing powder packets in their hands at any of the busy roads and offer those packets to motorists and motorcyclists “free of cost”.

Anyone who stops to collect a free washing powder packet is told that the packet costs Rs260, but it would be given away free of cost if it does not contain a gold ornament. The unsuspecting victim is told that the offer is part of a sales promotion campaign. He readily dishes out Rs260 and accepts the packet containing a fake gold ornament.

The swindlers have been active in the metropolis for the last several weeks, but the police are perhaps too busy going through the documents of motorcyclists to take notice.