Pics: Spoorthi Ullal

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Apr 12: The city crime branch (CCB) police have succeeded in taking into custody eight people who had made arrangements locally to undertake highway robberies in the city and elsewhere in Dakshina Kannada district. This was stated by city police commissioner, Shashi Kumar, in a press conference held in the city on Monday April 12.

When the CCB police were on special night rounds relating to night curfew on Sunday April 11, a gang that had parked an Innova car by the roadside at Parari in Ulaibettu village within the limits of Mangaluru rural police station was sighted. The gang, armed with lethal weapons, was waiting in a crowd to stop vehicles passing by the road. Tausir alias Pattonji Tausir (28) from Marnamikatte, Mohammed Arafat alias Arafa (29) from Arkula Cottage, Farangipet, Bantwal, Tasleem (27) from Ammemar Farangipet, Nasir Hussain (29), Thumbe House near Bantwal government school, Mohamad Rafique (37), tenth mile, Pudu village, Bantwal, Mohammed Safwan alias Safwan (25), tenth mile Pudu village, Mohammed Jainuddin (24), Ammemar, Pudu village, and Unaiz alias Mohammad Unaiz (25), resident of tenth mile, Pudu village, Bantwal, were taken into custody.

The accused were waiting to rob the vehicles at Parari and also had planned for high robbery in the city outskirts. Two sabres, two knives, one dragon knife, eight mobile phones, five monkey caps, three packets of red chilli powder, and an Innova car bearing registration No. KA 09 N 7886, totally valued at Rs 10,89,490 were seized from their possession. A case has been registered in the rural police station here, and investigation is on.

Under the guidance of deputy commissioners of police, Hariram Shankar and, Vinay A Gaonkar (crime and traffic), CCB inspector Mahesh Prasad, police sub-inspector Rajendra B, Pradeep T R and CCB personnel took part in the operation.

The police said that the gang is being run by Tausir alias Tausi alias Patonji and rowdy Batish alias Basith, currently living abroad. Tausir had set up TB (Tausir and Basith) group for the purpose. He used to recruit members to the group and got involved with financial settlements. Batish alias Bashith used to issue instructions to the gang members. Under one such instruction, Tausir and others had recently collected information about Anas from Sullia and planned to recover money from him.

Safwan of the Tausir gang had lent Rs 12 lac to Ziyad from Melkar B C Road, presently conducting business operations at Bengaluru. As he did not repay the money, the gang went to Bengaluru to recover it. But they could not meet Ziyad, Therefore, they had returned and were waiting to commit highway robberies. Tausir and Tasleem have been named in a case of failed robbery attempt within Dharmasthala police station limits.

Tausir faces six cases in different police stations and was evading arrest in the robbery case. Tasleem was involved with the double murder of Riyaz and Fayaz at Farangipet in 2017 and is involved with 12 cases, and had evaded arrest. Jainuddin has nine cases against is name, Arafath has three cases, and one case each is registered against Naseer Hussain and Mohammed Rafiq at different police stations. The cases include murder, attempt to murder, kidnap, blackmail, riot, cattle theft, financial settlements and extortion, the police stated.