The Commissionerate police on Saturday nabbed six members of a gang from Bharatpur in the capital city who looted passengers at bus and train terminuses in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack by spiking their drinks.
The arrested included the owner of a medicine store, who supplied the sedatives to the gang members and two receivers of the looted goods.
Police said three gold chains weighing 40 grams, 18 strips of medicines (sedatives), one motorcycle, six mobile phones were recovered from the gang members. The medicine store owner and the two receivers of the stolen property were subsequently arrested after their link with the arrested accused was ascertained.
Commissioner of Police Saumendra Priyadarshi said, “The modus operandi of the gang was they targeted passengers travelling from far-off places to the State capital for the first time. They would befriend the unsuspecting travellers and decamp with their belongings after offering them spiked drinks and food.”
Police said the Special Squad was on the trail of the gang after three cases of drugging and loot were reported in the city within a span of few days. As many as 11 to12 such cases were reported in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar in 2020.
Meanwhile, Priyadarshi has warned passengers to be careful about strangers and not accept any food or drink from them. He also warned medicine stores not to provide sedatives without a certified doctor’s prescription.