Thrilling crackdown by Maha Police Crime Branch: 5 Bangladeshi nationals arrested for armed robbery in Thane

Mumbai, March 31: In a tragic crackdown, Maharashtra’s Police Crime Branch busted a 5 member gang of international borders- who were Bangladeshis- used to fly down from Dhaka to carry out armed robberies in different places of India. The shocking revelation was that 3 among the arrested, holding valid passports with Indian visas, used to regularly fly to and from Dhaka to Mumbai to commit the robberies and return undetected. 

On Friday, Maharashtra Police Crime Branch arrested 5 members for committing a robbery at gunpoint in a house in Kashimira where they looted cash and jewellery worth around Rs 898,000 on March 22, said Superintendent of Police, Thane Rural, Mahesh Patil.

This 5 member gang carrying various equipment, struck at the home of Gokul R. Wagh around 3 a.m., cut through the window grilles, tied up the entire family and escaped with loot.

Following the uproar over the incident, the Thane Rural police and Kashimira’s Crime Branch Unit set up special squads to investigate and nab the culprits. After tracking several leads, CCTV footage and tips from informers, police learnt that the gang was travelling in a Chevrolet car towards Vasai town, in adjoining Palghar district, on Wednesday. A police team further managed to seize the vehicle and arrested the occupants who admitted that they were Bangladeshi nationals and staying here illegally.

Investigating Officer Pramod Badakh said that the gang has been operating with “local support”, prompting a wide scale of investigations. This would include probing local hoteliers, eateries and bars, locals with Bangladeshi contacts, including some former dance bars employees and others who may have helped the gang in its operations, he added.

Police are now tracking their visa and immigration records to ascertain how many times they entered the country and whether they operated in other cities besides Thane.

The accused were identified as Mohammed Palash Ismail Havaldar, 32, Bappi Akubar Shaikh, 27, Mohammed Munir Latif Shaikh, 31, Mohammed Akram Irfan Ali, 28, all hailing from different villages in Bangaldesh’s Khulna district while the fifth Lukman Cheena Miyan, 23, is from Sylhet district of Bangladesh.

They were placed under arrest on Wednesday and produced before a court which sent them to police custody till Monday, said Patil.