Kochi: Kalamassery police took four officers of Karnataka Police into custody for allegedly accepting bribes from accused in an online fraud case.

The police officials of White Field Police Station in Bengaluru were taken into custody while travelling in a vehicle “seized” from the accused.

According to Kochi DCP Sasidharan, the accused paid money to Karnataka Police officials after they promised not to name them in the case. Kochi police also seized Rs 3.95 lakh from the car used by the Karnataka police officers.

Last day, Kochi police received a complaint that Karnataka police officers had embezzled money from the accused in an online fraud case. In the complaint, it was also stated that officials also seized their car. Following this, an investigation was launched to find the vehicle and took the officials into custody.

A team of circle inspector and three other policemen arrived in Kochi to investigate a complaint of a woman who lost Rs 26 lakh in an online investment fraud. Initially, the police took two men into custody from Malappuram and two more from Mattancherry on Tuesday evening.

In the complaint, it was alleged that Karnataka police officials initially demanded Rs 25 lakh and later reduced the amount to Rs 10 lakh. Officials allegedly forced them to pay Rs 4 lakh and threatened for the balance of the money. Later, the family of the accused filed a complaint with Kalamassery police.