The police on Saturday apprehended a gang near Vandalur for attempting to extort Rs 2 lakh from a village panchayat president.
According to the police, on Friday, an anonymous caller threatened to abduct the children of Mr Johnson, panchayat president of Kumuli village, near Guduvanchery, if he failed to pay Rs 2 lakh.
Though the caller warned against approaching the police, Mr Johnson immediately informed the Kancheepuram SP, who constituted a special team.
Though the team, led by DSP Thanigavel, tried to trace the call, it failed. Then it asked Mr Johnson to agree to pay the money. The gang asked him to bring the amount to a spot in Kandigai village, near Vandalur zoo.
When he reached the spot, two persons, waiting on a bike at the bus stop, approached him. Even as they were about to take the money from him, the police team, lying in wait, caught the duo.
Another two persons waiting at a teashop nearby, who tried to escape, were cornered by the police.
The arrested have been identified as Venkatesan, 32, a murder accused from Keerapakkam, Yuvaraj, 29, of Chengalpattu, Dinakaran, 19, of Hanumanthapuram, and Nithyanandan, 30, a lorry driver of Pattarapakkam.
Investigations revealed that the gang committed the crime to make a fast buck. Venkatesan is said to the brain behind the scheme. Police confiscated petrol bombs, sickles and a bike from them.
The Kancheepuram SP has urged village panchayat presidents to approach the police in case of threats from criminal gangs. He assured that the cases would be dealt with confidentially.