VISAKHAPATNAM: In a major catch, the Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested two inter-state gangs of Bihar and Haryana comprising seven members who were involved in looting valuables from passengers in trains. The cops also recovered 780 g of gold worth Rs 21.5 lakh.
The arrested were identified as Abhishek Nishad (24), Deepak Mandal (30), Bamabam Kumar (28), Vishal Kumar (20) and Bugga Kumar, all hailing from Bihar. The sixth member of the gang is still at large. Two of the members of the Haryana gang were identified as Rajendar (36) and Hansraj (25), while gang leaders Surendar, Mahendar and Jagadeesh are absconding.
Deputy superintendent of police (GRP) P Narayana Rao told newsmen that the Bihar gang boards passenger trains at night and occupy the luggage racks. Two of them engage the passenger in conversation, while the others use a master key to open the passenger’s luggage and flee with gold ornaments and other valuables.
The gang looted passengers in the Kakinada-Vizag Passenger train on February 14, 15 and 18. The entire stolen gold, about 183 g worth Rs 5 lakh, was recovered from them. The hunt is on for the sixth person, Narayana Rao added.
In the case of the Haryana gang, the five-member gang was involved in 12 cases over the last few months, where they looted valuables from passengers in different trains running between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.
The police said that the total property looted by the gang was about 1 kg gold, of which only 600 g worth Rs 16.5 lakh was recovered.
“The Haryana gang’s modus operandi is very innovative.
They would board AC compartments of long-distance trains like Vizag-Delhi and Vizag-Mumbai with valid tickets and they get down at a station in the night with the baggage of passengers, when most of the people in the compartment are asleep,” said the police.
Acting on a tip-off, the GRP personnel arrested two members of the gang at Visakhapatnam railway station after they got down from the Delhi-Vizag Dakshin Express and tried to escape through an exit point of the station Saturday night.