With the arrest of four criminals, the sleuths of Delhi Police Crime Branch on Thursday claimed to have busted a gang of highway robbers who used to target cab drivers and passengers in the national Capital.
Police have also recovered tablets used for drugging victims, three country-made pistols along with four cartridges, one app based cab used in commission of crime and four robbed mobile phones from the possession of the accused.
The accused have been identified as Hashim (25), Satyabir Pandey (36), Sachin Paswan (22) and Majid Salmani (22), all residents of Loni near Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh (UP).
According to Dr G Ram Gopal Naik, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Crime Branch, on November 20, specific inputs were received that the gang members of ‘Hasim Gang’ would come to Anand Vihar ISBT, Delhi to commit a robbery.
“Acting on the inputs a trap was laid on the spot. After a few hours, four persons arrived in a cab but sensing the presence of the police team they tried to flee away. But, they were overpowered by the team after a brief scuffle. During the search of the accused persons, three loaded country made pistols and eight live cartridges were recovered from their possession,” said the DCP.
“During interrogation, the accused revealed that after releasing from prison in August 2019, Hashim, the gang leader, wanted to make quick money following which he planned robberies along with Satyavir Pandey and others,” said the DCP.
“The accused Satyavir Pandey was working as a driver of app based cab owned by his neighbour and is well versed with the cab business. They planned to loot the app based cab and use the same for further committing robberies of passengers,” said the DCP.
Explaining their modus operandi the DCP said that the accused used to phones and later these phones were used to book app based cab near ISBTs, Railway Stations, etc. The used to board the cab, overpower the driver, abduct him, rob his belongings, and confine him at their place after drugging him,” said the DCP.
“The bookings sent by the company of the driver would be accepted by the robbers to commit further robberies of the passengers. After committing the robberies of the innocent passengers and drivers criminals used to dump the driver and cab at lonely places on highways,” said the DCP.
“The accused are also found previously involved in several cases of robbery and arms act registered across the city. Further investigation is going on,” said the DCP.