Six persons, including suspected Naxalites from Jharkhand, have been arrested for allegedly plotting to rob vehicles on the Mumbai-Nashik Highway in Maharashtra`s Thane district, police said on Friday, reported the PTI.
An official said that cased on a tip-off, the property cell of the crime branch laid a trap near Kharegaon toll booth on Tuesday evening and intercepted a Jharkhand-registered vehicle.
He said that on inspection, the police found that the occupants were armed with three firearms, four live cartridges, and carrying materials typically used in violent highway robberies, including an iron sickle, cutting tools, chilli powder, ropes, and six mobile phones, according to the PTI.
The accused were allegedly planning to intercept passing vehicles, especially trucks transporting valuable goods and assault drivers using firearms and chilli powder to commit robberies, the official said, the news agency reported,
The official said that the team arrested six persons, five of them suspected Naxalites hailing from Jharkhand,
A case has been registered against them under section 310 (dacoity) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and relevant provisions of the Arms Act and the Maharashtra Police Act, 1961.
Meanwhile, in an another incident, hours after an armed robbery incident in Ghatkopar area of Mumbai, two suspects were nabbed within 8 hours of the crime and a manhunt has been launched to nab third suspect, police said.
A shocking armed robbery took place at Darshan Jewellers in Ghatkopar (West) on Wednesday between 10:30 am and 10:45 am. Three unidentified men stormed into the store and threatened the owner at gunpoint while attempting to steal gold jewellery.
According to police, as the robbers were filling a bag with around 30 grams of gold ornaments, the owner resisted and shouted for help. In response, one of the robbers attacked him with a knife, causing injuries. While fleeing the scene, the robbers fired shots in the air to scare away locals who tried to stop them.
The Ghatkopar Police immediately registered a case and began investigations.
Taking the seriousness of the case into account, Additional Commissioner of Police (East Region) Mahesh Patil, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 7) Rakesh Ola, and Assistant Commissioner of Police (Ghatkopar Division) Shailesh Pasalwar supervised the investigation.
Fourteen special police teams were formed to track down the suspects.
“By analysing CCTV footage from 67 government and private CCTV cameras across Mumbai City, Suburbs, and Thane, and using technical inputs, the team managed to crack the case in just 8 hours,” said an official.
Two accused were arrested in connection with the matter. They have been identified as Tanish Sushil Bhaisade (20) and Suraj Jagdish Yadav (20), police said.
The local court has remanded both accused to seven days of police custody.
(with PTI inputs)
