Bengaluru: Two men, who allegedly used to divert attention of people coming out of banks and escape with money, have been arrested by the Amruthahalli police. The duo is allegedly involved in more than 50 cases.
The accused have been identified as V. Suresh, 35, and Srinivasulu alias Seena, 45, of Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh.
According to the police, the two accused were part of notorious Ojikuppam gang, named after a village in Nagari Taluk in Chittoor. The gang members used to come to the city and stayed for some days and committed series of offences.
They reportedly told house owners that they are granite labourers or building contractors and took the house for rent. They used to go inside the banks and identify those who withdraw good amount of cash. Before they left, the gang members come out and wait for them.
“When they came out, they threw some notes of Rs10 and Rs 20 denominations and divert their attention. When they are busy picking up the notes, other members of the gang would take the cash bag kept in their vehicles and vanish. They also threw dirt on the clothes of their victims and while they were cleaning it, the gang members escaped with the money,” the police said.
The arrested persons were staying at Hegdenagar, Vaddarapalya in Hennur, Begur and other places. “In such cases, we try to know from the victims about the description including the dresses the accused were wearing. But, these two had more than 40 pairs of clothes, 10 helmets, 10 pairs of shoes and bags. They used different dress for every offence. They left the dresses and other goods at house, while vacating it,” city Police Commissioner T. Suneel Kumar said, adding that the accused were involved in more than 40 cases in Andhra Pradesh and 10 in Bengaluru.
The police have seized four two-wheelers, four small knives used to cut bags, 30 pairs of clothes, helmets, nine mobile phones, 16 SIM cards and cash from the accused.
Modus operandi
- The gang members used to go to banks and identify customers withdrawing huge amount of cash.
- They used to wait for them outside and throw some currency notes to divert customers’ attention.
- The other gang members used to steal the cash bag kept in vehicles.
- Sometimes they used to throw dirt on the clothes of their victims. While they get busy cleaning it, the other members used to escape with money.
- They all belong to Ojikuppam gang, named after a village in Nagari Taluk in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh.
- They used to come to Bengaluru, stay for few days and commit a series of offences.
