Crime Branch arrests two in Binanipuram gold heist case

20 kg of gold was stolen from near refining firm last May

The Crime Branch has arrested two persons in connection with the heist of 20 kg of gold valued at ₹6 crore from Binanipuram in May last year.

The arrested have been identified as Deepak, 48, of Kavalam in Alappuzha, and Ajmal, 36, of Maddakkathanam near Muvattupuzha. They are accused of disposing of around 2 kg of the stolen gold to various jewellers in and around Kottayam. They were arrested over the last couple of days. It is learnt that the accused have identified more persons involved in the case.

The robbery took place on the night of May 9 last year. A car transporting 20 kg of gold to be refined and enhanced in purity came under attack by two motorcycle-bound assailants after it halted for the security guard near the gate at CGR Metalloys Private Limited, Binanipuram.

The accused were produced before the Aluva Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, which remanded them for 14 days.

“We will shortly file a custody application as the accused have to be taken to various places for collection of evidence,” said an official associated with the investigation.

Tracing gold

The Crime Branch is continuing its probe to trace the remaining lot of stolen gold and suspects that more people might have been involved in the heist.

Though the Crime Branch had arrested five persons involved in the heist last year, they had hit a wall in terms of recovery of the gold as the accused misled them. Eventually, the accused managed to secure bail.

CCTV footage

The case, which was initially investigated by a Special Investigation Team drawn from the Rural Police, was transferred to the Crime Branch team led by DySP Jossy Cherian after the former failed to manage any breakthrough. Though SIT had received CCTV footage of the assailants, neither their faces nor the registration number of the motorcycle on which they had fled could be identified.