Mumbai: The Thane crime branch busted an interstate gang of robbers and arrested eight people who were to rob a nationalised bank located on Kalyan-Murbad road. The gang have over 20 cases registered in Maharashtra and Karnataka, police said.
The accused had planned to rob the bank in the wee hours of Tuesday, however, arrest of one of the accomplices helped foil the bid and the police laid a trap at the spot to apprehend others.
Those arrested were identified as Sanjay Naidu (25), Illiyaraj Keshavraj (30), both from Chennai, Benjamin Eragdinalla (26), from Nellore, Dasu Yedda (28), both from Andhra Pradesh, Soloman Gogula (29), Arunkumar Petla (24), Rajan Gogula (46), Mosha Mosha (30) and Danial Akula (25), all from Andhra Pradesh.
Following a spike in chain and phone snatchings in Kalyan, the local police had stepped up vigilance in the city. The officials spotted the accused riding suspiciously following which they checked on the registration number of the bike and found that it was used in an offence in Narpoli. The officials intercepted the two-wheeler and upon questioning him, he spilled the beans.
"The accomplice then revealed that the gang had plans to rob the bank. We gathered the details of the plan and laid a trap outside the bank. When the gang arrived at the spot to execute the robbery, we apprehended them and took them into custody," said an officer of Thane crime branch.
When the antecedents of the arrested accused was checked, the police found that they have at least 23 cases registered against them at Aurangabad, Ahmednagar, Jalgaon, Nagpur, Gondia and cities in Karnataka. The police have seized three motorcycles that were being used in the robbery along with knives, sickles, glasscutters and other items from them.
The police have also found 25 mobile phones that they used to keep in contact with SIM cards registered with fake identities and have filed case against the gang under sections of the Indian Penal Code, Arms Act and sections of the Motor Vehicle Act.
