Gang of thieves busted in Dadar, ten arrested

Mumbai: The Mumbai crime branch has busted a gang of robbers, apprehending 10 of its members who were allegedly planning to rob the renowned Waman Hari Pethe jewellers in Dadar. The gang was armed with choppers, gas cutters, gas nozzles, ropes, screw drivers and other equipment. The accused have several robbery cases registered against them in the past in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai regions.

A case was recently was registered by the Bhiwandi crime branch against the gang. They have also struck in several places in Kolkata, police said. Some of them were released from prison recently.

“The method of the gang is to take up small time jobs, mostly related to hawking or of security guards, around the target shop to keep a watch before chalking out a plan. In some cases they have rented the neighbouring shop to sell seasonal fruits and drilled a hole into the jewellery shop,” said a crime branch officer.

Their modus-operandi involved incapacitating the watchmen and then gagging them. The robbers used gas cutters to break open the safe in jewellery shops, said police sources. Eight members of the gang are Nepalese working in the city.  

The accused have been identified as Shankar Shahud (28), Pawan Waougi (40), Maanbahadur Karki (36), Omchamling Rai (26), Sagar Ahuja (32), Arjun Bohara (24), Giri Prem Singh (35), Bhakthkari Dholi (35), Humayn Shaikh (40) and Saihbut Shaikh (25).

Two gang members, who are on the run, are natives of Nepal.