The Central Crime Station (CCS) police claim to have solved a gold heist case that took place in a private bus near Kanakadurga Varadhi in the city.
They arrested two robbers – Dhanumjay Dasrath Pawar and Ambu Dasrath Pawar -- of a 20-member ‘Maharashtra gang’ and recovered gold ornaments, valued at about Rs. 50 lakh and a four-wheeler from their possession.
Eighteen other members of the gang are at large, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP-Law and Order) L.K.V. Ranga Rao.
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The gang robbed nine kilograms of gold ornaments from two persons while travelling in a bus from Visakhapatnam to Nellore, five months ago, the DCP said in a press conference held here on Thursday.
Disclosing this to the newsmen, Mr. Rao said that the modus operandi of the gang is to move in vehicles in groups, do ‘recce’ and follow the gold merchants while transporting jewellery from one place to the other.
In May Dasrath and Ambu, observed that two gold salesmen were travelling in a private travels bus and boarded the same vehicle along with two other gang members while the remaining accused followed the bus in a four wheeler.
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When the vehicle reached Vijayawada at around 1 a.m. the accused observed that the salesmen were asleep and got down the bus at Varadhi with the bags containing the ornaments. The other gang members, who followed the bus, picked up the accused and they escaped.
Police intercepted the vehicle at Gollapudi on Thursday and during interrogation the accused confessed to have committed the crime, said Additional DCP G. Ramakoteswara Rao and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) V. Pothu Raju.
“We observed that robbers from Solapur, Osmanabad, Pune and Ahmednagar districts were committing thefts in AP and kept a vigil on their movements,” said CCS ACPs V.S.N. Varma and P. Sunder Raju.
“A hunt is on to nab the remaining gang members. We request the bullion merchants to be alert while travelling with gold ornaments and cash,” the DCP cautioned.