CHENNAI: A search is under way for a gang that posed as personnel from the city police's ANIU (anti-narcotics intelligence unit) and kidnapped two young delivery agents and robbed their cash and mobile phones. The gang members abandoned the victims and fled the scene after noticing a police patrol vehicle approaching them.

The victims are Dinesh (22) of Kodambakkam and his friend, Vela (20). Dinesh had acquainted himself with a woman, whom he knew as Nisha and on Tuesday, she had invited them to her home to smoke ganja. When the three were smoking ganja, Nisha made a phone call after which four of them barged into the house, claiming to be ANIU cops and searched the men. They then forced Dinesh and Vela into a car and drove to a secluded stretch in Koyambedu, where they assaulted the duo and took the cash and mobile phones from them.

An autorickshaw driver who noticed the commotion alerted the police patrol, who rushed to the scene. On noticing the patrol vehicle, the gang members, including the woman, fled the scene. The Koyambedu Police moved the injured duo to a hospital and launched a search for the gang.