The SIMI and IM terrorists, arrested here last Sunday, were also behind the armed robbery that took place at the gold finance company in Manappuram here last August.
According to the Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad (ATS), the gold loot worth Rs. 2.5 (13 kg. gold) crore was planned and executed by the same men.
Banks robbed
They had robbed five banks in Dewas, Itarsi and two other places in the State and are also suspected to be behind the 2008 Ahmedabad blasts.
“The gold robbery was masterminded by Dr. Abu Faisal, a SIMI activist, and involved Mujibur Rehman, Zaakir, Aslam and Ejazuddin,” ATS Inspector-General Vipin Maheshwari told reporters here on Friday.
“We have recovered 6.2 kg gold from them. The rest of the gold and the cash could not be recovered as they had spent it,” he said.
The operatives committed the robberies apparently to raise funds for organisational activities.
According to ATS sources, the six had rented a room in Tata Nagar and another in the industrial satellite town of Mandideep near Bhopal.
The looted gold was recovered from the room in Tata Nagar.
The terrorists had been studying the routine at the Manappuram office for about a week and kept the watchmen, manager and other workers under observation.
On the day of the robbery, they locked in the watchmen, held the other workers hostage and used the manager's keys to open the safe that contained the gold.
They vacated the room in Mandideep and left for Ratlam the next day. The looted gold was later sold in Kolkata, Ranchi and several other places.
Asked about the two suspects already in police custody for the robbery, the IG said a link was yet to be established between the two.
