KOCHI:The Kochi City police team probing last year’s twin break-ins here on Sunday took the accused Bangladeshi nationals to the crime scene at Pulleppady as part of the evidence collection. They included Ilkaram Maqbool, 30, son of Ismail; Salim,40. son of Abdul Sathar and Muhammed Haroon,46, son of Faisal Rahman, the officers said.
The Bangladeshi gang was arrested by New Delhi Police in a theft case lodged at the Preeth Vihar police station there, following which the accused were handed over to the Kochi Police. The Kochi Police conducted interrogation and identification parade of the arrested. It was an 11-member gang which was behind the burglaries.
“Of these only six were nabbed while the remaining accused, including Ilias, Alam, Manik, and Arif, are on the run. Arif and Manik are booked for firing at a policeman. The gang came to India using fake ID cards and used to stay here. The worked as ragpickers and did odd jobs during the day time to zero in on their targets. The break-ins were conducted under the cover of darkness. After committing the crime, they fled to Bangladesh,” said Ernakulam North CI K J Peter.
According to the CI, the gang members needed the easy money to feed their drug addiction. Charges of violation of Foreigners Act and Immigration Act will also be slapped on them. Though the custody of the accused will end by Monday they will be taken into custody by the Tripunithura Police in the burglary case there.
The gang first struck at the house of E K Ismail at Pullepady during the small hours on December 15, 2017. The robbers, who broke into the double-storeyed home, slashed the wrist of Ismail’s wife before decamping with the five sovereigns of gold worn by her. Her husband was also assaulted by the gang. Barely 24 hours later, the gang struck again. This time it was the residence of Nannappilli Anandakumar near Hill Palace at Tripunithura.
Brandishing weapons, including guns, the gang tied up the family members and decamped with 50 sovereigns of gold, three mobile phones and `20,000 in cash.