BHUBANESWAR: Police Commissionerate of the Twin City on Wednesday nabbed two members of a Tamil Nadu based gang who allegedly looted people in crowded areas after distracting their attention by littering currency notes.
The accused are part of an organised racket operating from Trichurapally district of Tamil Nadu with around 100 to 120 members who are spread across the country. They have been identified as D Keerthi (39) and D Murthy (41) who are residents of Gandhinagar tehsil of Trichurapally.
Police had mounted a surveillance on them for past 15 days, after two other members of the gang who were arrested earlier had tipped about the duo.
On Wednesday, police teams led by Bhubaneswar DCP Satyabrata Bhoi laid traps at Rajmahal, Station Square and Rupali Square after getting an information of their presence in the stretch between Rajmahal and Vani Vihar square.
At around 8.30 pm, the team at Station Square spotted two youths riding on a black Pulsar approaching a cab and halting right behind it. The pillion rider (Murthy) littered a wad of currency notes near the car to trick the driver who started collecting the notes. Keerthi on the other hand, cleverly lifted a briefcase which was placed on rear seat of the vehicle.
The cops, who were deployed a few metres from the scene, responded immediately and nabbed both of them, Bhoi said. The accused are involved in four similar cases of loot at Laxmi Sagar, Capital and Kharvela Nagar area.
A stolen motorcycle which was used by the duo in the crime has been seized, apart from an ATM card through which around Rs 1.25 lakh was transferred during the last 15 days. Their gang was involved in two cases of loot amounting to Rs 40 lakh and Rs 14 lakh on bank premises in Rourkela and Sambalpur respectively.
“For accommodation, the duo preferred railway platform to hotels fearing arrest. A case has been registered in Kharvela Nagar police station and further investigation is on,” Bhoi added.