COIMBATORE: Based on a tip-off, Kuniyamuthur police in the city on Thursday arrested 11 people, including the brother of Lashkar-e-Taiba’s South India chief and another person who is a suspect in the bus arson case at Kalamassery in Kerala.
Police said the two were planning dacoity in the city to raise funds.
The arrested included U Abdul Halim (47) and M Shamal (46), electricians from Kannur; Kerala. Shamal is the brother of Thadiyantevida Naseer, self-styled South India chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba allegedly involved in several terror incidents.
Halim was acquitted in the Kozhikode twin blast case but is a suspect in the Kalamassery bus arson case.
The others were identified as H Mohammad Siyavdin (40), who is into real estate business in Chettukundu; A Sunil (45), a driver; I Sameer (32), a realtor from Kasaragod, M Prasath (25), a fish seller from Tiruppur; M Salim Malik (25); K Shajahan (26), a scrap dealer from Mangalam in Tiruppur; J Mohammad Anas (29), an IT employee from Ukkadam in Coimbatore; H Noufal Kasim Sheik (29), a native of Uttara Kannada district; and M Mohammad Yasir (18) from Kangeyam Cross Road in Tiruppur.
Police said the gang had already staged a few robberies in Kerala by posing as officers of DVAC, ED and Income Tax officials and conducting searches.
On Tuesday, a patrol team of Kuniyamuthur police secured the gang from a playground at Kulathupalayam and took them to the station. During questioning one of them allegedly confessed that they were staying in Kuniyamuthur allegedly to commit a dacoity in a house at Kovaipudur.
The gang was in possession of weapons. They were booked under Section 310 (A) of the BNS Act. Police are on the lookout for one more suspect.