A gang suspected to be involved in the daring robbery of Rs. 22 lakh from a van on the elevated corridor of the Chennai bypass near Maduravoyal last month was busted by a special police team on Friday. Three members of the gang were arrested with Rs. 7 lakh cash in their possession, police said.
Police sources said the gang, on motorcycles, struck on the highway on the night of January 30 by intercepting the van carrying cash from the Korattur office of an ITC products distribution firm to its office in Porur. Speaking to The Hindu , Joint Commissioner of Police (West) K.Shankar said, the mastermind behind the highway robbery was Elangovan (32), the assistant cashier from the firm's Korattur office. “He had hatched the robbery plan with his accomplice Mannan (35) of Uthukottai and passed on information on the route the cash-laden van would take and the time it left the Korattur office. Following which, Mannan with four others, robbed Rs. 21.99 lakh from the van,” said Mr. Shankar.
The suspects divided the money among themselves with cashier Elangovan pocketing Rs. 7.5 lakh and the rest settling for Rs. 2.85 lakh each, the Joint Commissioner said.
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Eight special teams formed to investigate the robbery questioned 123 staff members from the firm and zeroed in on Elangovan. Elangovan led police teams to Mannan and his accomplice, Ganesan (27) of Old MGR Nagar, Manali. All three men were arrested and a total of Rs 7 lakh was recovered from their houses, police sources said. They are hunting for three more persons.