By IANS
Bhopal : A six-member gang involved in over a dozen robberies and kidnappings on national highways has been arrested, the Madhya Pradesh police said Monday.
“Following an increase in incidents of loot and kidnappings on the national highways, an operation was initiated by STF (Special Task Force) and teams were formed to keep a strict vigil on the highways of the bordering areas,” said Additional Director General (Intelligence) Surendra Singh.
“The STF swung into action Saturday after a tip-off that a Scorpio jeep similar to that used in incidents of looting was moving on the Mumbai-Agra road. One team of STF officials laid a trap from the Shivpuri-Gwalior highway side while another team of the Rajgarh Police did so from the other side and managed to nab them,” he said.
During the interrogation, those arrested – Vijay, Shivram, Amar Singh, Bhura, Deepak Sharma and Kartar Singh – admitted robbing over a dozen vehicles in various states, including Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and northeastern states besides kidnapping a Mumbai-based couple near Shajapur district, the police claimed.
They had allegedly abducted a Mumbai-based businessman and his wife when the couple was returning to Mumbai from Agra early this month. They were freed only after paying a ransom of Rs.1.5 million in Delhi, said Singh.
Two revolvers, some sharp-edged weapons and robbed valuables including those belonging to the couple were seized from them, the police said.
“To avoid any problem while crossing the state borders, the gang used to wear clothes typical of politicians and policemen and move in a SUV vehicle with a beacon on it,” STF Inspector General Sanjeev Kumar Singh said.
The police expect recovery of a dozen cars and valuables from them, he added.