Hubballi, May 22 (DHNS): The city police arrested eight persons from Gujarat, who looted Rs 26.41 lakh from nine persons when they came out of banks in Hubballi, Dharwad, Belagavi, Gadag and Koppal.

Investigating the dacoity case reported in January and April here, the police team led by Sub-urban Station Police Inspector Sachin S Chalawadi, nabbed the accused on Gadag Road here on Wednesday. They also recovered Rs 14.80 lakh and a sedan class car from them.

The arrested have been identified as Nitin Tammachi (40), Mayur Bajarange (29), Ravi Garange (53), Jiganesh Ghasi (33), Deepak Kumar Bajarange (41), Kanayyalal Panvekar (43), Shishodia Rathod (40), and Vishnu Rathod (39). They are all from Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

According to the Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner Ravindra Prasad, the arrested were involved in four dacoity cases in Hubballi-Dharwad, two cases in Gadag, one case in Koppal and two cases in Belagavi.

Modus operandi

The accused planned the dacoity professionally and intelligently, said Ravindra Prasad. A set of them would observe the movement of customers in banks during peak hours and followed the cars of those who drew big sums of money. Some others would arrive on a bike and start a quarrel with the victim. In the meantime the first set of the accused would break the glass windows of the car and make away with the cash, he said.