Three men allegedly posing as policemen robbed a shopowner of jewellery worth R1.89 lakh in Thane district, the police said on Monday. According to the police, the victim was travelling on a two-wheeler with his wife on Sunday afternoon when he was accosted by two men who claimed to be policemen.

The duo allegedly warned the victim that there was some inspection underway, and people were advised not to wear jewellery, a police officer said. The victim was asked to remove his jewellery, place it on a paper and put it in his pocket. As he was putting away the valuables, another accused arrived at the scene, causing a distraction and allowing the duo to replace the paper containing the valuables, he said.