The Enforcement Directorate has urged people to check the authenticity of its summons by scanning a QR code provided on the document, PTI reported.

The advisory came after 10 suspected gang members were arrested for allegedly threatening executives of the Japanese paint-making company Nippon with fake summons from the Enforcement Directorate.

The gang members also demanded Rs 15-20 crore from the executives in return for a promise to settle the cases, according to the Enforcement Directorate.

“An inter-state gang was active and targeting high profile persons and businessmen of the society and threatening them in the name of ED by sending them forged summons/notices,” the agency said in a statement on November 21, according to PTI. “A trap was laid and the members of the gang were asked to come to Delhi for negotiation.”

The Enforcement Directorate said that gang members, including their kingpin Akhilesh Mishra, were then arrested in a joint operation with the Delhi Police.

“Devender Dubey, one of the gang’s members, had threatened the representatives of the company to settle the matter or he would arrest them the next day,” the agency said. “He was caught using government stickers on a car.”

The agency also urged people to bring such instances to its notice without any fear or hesitation.

“The ED has evolved a fool-proof mechanism for issuance of a summons for the recording of statements under PMLA [Prevention of Money Laundering Act] as well as FEMA [Foreign Exchange Management Act],” it said. “The summons approved by the competent authority are generated electronically and can be authenticated by a unique QR code mentioned on the summons.”

It added that people can inform the agency about such instances by mailing adint.hqenforce@gov.in and adint2-ed@gov.in or by calling 011-23339178 and 011-23339173.