Bengaluru: The Hennur police have arrested three people for extorting money from five businessmen from Kerala by posing as policemen.

The police have identified the arrested persons as M Rasheed, Mohammed Soud and Mohammed Shabir, all residents of Chikka Banaswadi. The police said the prime suspect is on the run, along with two others.

According to the police, the accused had engineered an elaborate set-up using escorts to trap the businessmen. “Once the women were in a room with the businessmen, the trio would barge in posing as policemen,” said a police officer.

The alleged incident occurred when they were at an acquaintance’s house in Chelkere in Hennur, along with two escorts.

The police have recovered a gold chain and mobile phones worth Rs 1.3 lakh from the accused. They are on the lookout for the remaining three suspects, including the two women, who are on the run. A case has been registered at Hennur police station in this regard. The three arrested persons were remanded in judicial custody.