Hyderabad: A man notorious for drugging and looting passengers on long-distance trains was arrested by the Secunderabad Railway Police on Monday. Mohd Mustaqim Khan, 36, the accused, is known to have been involved in seven such cases reported in various parts of TS and AP since 2015. The police recovered over 16 tolas of gold and two laptops worth Rs 4.28 lakh in all from his possession.
The accused would mix Ativan, a drug used to treat anxiety, in either cold drinks or biscuits and offer them to passengers to sedate them. He was reportedly taught this technique by a fellow prisoner in Kolkata.
Mustaqim Khan, a native of Bihar, moved to Kolkata where he sustained himself by buying and selling used cars. He was running a firm along with a few partners but was eventually arrested for cheating them. After obtaining bail, he continued to in-dulge in nefarious activities.
He moved to Banjara Hills in Hyderabad after his wife and children left him.
Khan would enter the general compartments of trains, posing as a passenger, and strike up a conversation with others on board.
“During the conversation, he would offer them biscuits, water or tea. These items would already be laced with the stupefying drug. Once the victims fall unconscious, he would reli-eve them of their jewellery and alight at the next station,” said S. Rajendraprasad, Superintendent (in charge) of the Secunderabad Railway Police. He added that the accused mainly targeted long-distance trains that ran at night.
