Hyderabad: Police said that the bike-borne robbers who have been striking at different parts of the city lately are part of a huge gang that operates from central-east India.
A 10-12 member gang arrived in the city a few months back and started operating in smaller groups. With their innovative modus operandi they have already struck seven times this month in posh areas, keeping the city cops on their toes. Police said that the robbers get rid of the stolen properties mostly in Nepal and border states of the country.
Higher officials of the Special Investigation Team, who have launched a special operation with 300 cops, revealed that available clues suggest that the gang has connections in Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.
After a few operations, the robbers go back, split the money, and stay at five star hotels in Nepal. While the police managed to trace the mobile phones being used by the gang members, they turned out to be with locals, including college students.
SIT chief additional commissioner of police Sandeep Shandilya, told this newspaper that the gang sold their mobiles in local markets to mislead the police. “They destroy the SIM cards after each operation and sell the phones in the local market. We found one such phone with a college student who had bought it from the receiver unknowingly,” he said.
Some teams involved in the special operation have already reached the central and eastern states where the gangs have set up their base. The city police has also sought help from the local police there.
“Our investigation team found that the gang had stayed at a five star hotel in Nepal. They wear expensive clothes and behave like they belong to well-off families to avoid suspicion,” Shandilya said.
The gang had purchased SIM cards from Odisha and Chhattisgarh, and had come by train to Hyderabad. They stay at cheap lodges in the city and operate only during the day.
The gang’s informants wear expensive clothes while observing people in banks who withdraw more than '2 lakh. “The public don’t suspect those informants in the bank since they wear expensive clothes. The CCTV footages we accessed from banks showed an informant who looked like a very rich person,” said the SIT head.
Following news from informants, a two-member team follows the victim and diverts his/her attention with different tricks. “In two cases, they threw itching powder on the victim when he halted the vehicle. When the victim started scratching, leaving the bag, the duo snatched it and fled.
In other cases, gang members punctured the victims’ vehicle tyres. When they got down to fix the flats, the gang struck. The third tactic they use is to pick up a fight. They dash their vehicle on the victims’ cars or bikes and start a quarrel. When the victims are focussed on the fight, another team snatches the bag,” Shandilya added.
The investigation officers have already got the personal details of the gang members and other vital leads and hope the gang will be busted soon.
