Police said the gang consists of a huge number of Bangladeshis, some of whom always remain stationed in different states at a time
After a brief encounter in the intervening night of Sunday and Monday, a gang of Bangladeshi men, all in their early twenties, was eventually busted by Lucknow Police.
The 11 gang members struck at will throughout states, committing robberies with precision and escaping by trains soon after to evade arrest, reports The times of India.
They used to cross the India-Bangladesh border and travel by rail to several states, communicating with each other using walkie-talkie devices while committing crimes.
Lucknow Police Commissioner Dhruva Kant Thakur said the gang was planning to execute a robbery when a police patrol spotted it near Malhaur railway station.
“A patrol squad observed some individuals with rifles along railway tracks in Malhaur, Gomtinagar, about 1:45 am and urged them to stop.” However, they began running and opened fire when they were pursued. “In the exchange of fire, two miscreants were hit and fell to the ground, one was apprehended while the others escaped,” said Sanjiv Suman, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) for the East Zone.
The three were identified as Sheikh Rubail, 26, Alam, 27, and Rabiul, 23, all natives of Bagerhat district in Bangladesh.
They admitted under questioning that they were specially trained in Bangladesh for a month before coming to India to strike.
The accused were taught how to jump over 15-foot high compound walls with ease, cut grilles with hacksaw blades, cut pliers, and use thin screwdrivers to open doorknobs.
Confessed to crimes
Officials said they also carried country-made firearms and communicated in Bangla in case of an unexpected threat.
“They were coached by Hamza, a Bangladeshi man who collects 30% of the booty from each crime. They said that “a manhunt has been begun to apprehend the eight accused who have escaped.”
During questioning, the three admitted to being involved in two robberies in the state capital’s Vibhutikhand and Chinhat, as well as three robberies in Varanasi’s Rohaniya police station area.
They also admitted to committing robberies in Dehradun, Bengaluru, Katni, Bhubaneswar, and Anand Vihar in Delhi, and they are wanted in cases across the country, including in Uttar Pradesh, according to the official.
“The gang used to flee to Bangladesh after committing some robberies and so could not be nabbed,” Thakur explained.
They were involved in a robbery in the Kathauta Jheel area on October 6, 2020, and then in Chinhat on December 23, 2018, the commissioner added.
“On the night of October 7 and 8, they attempted a robbery in the city on Gomtinagar, and they had struck earlier in the Maal police station area on September 15.” We had increased patrolling in order to apprehend them, and we were successful,” he stated.
According to DCP Suman, the gang entered India through West Bengal’s 24 Parganas area and subsequently boarded any train to any city.
“After committing crime, they took a train to flee to another state, where they sold the seized ornaments and put money in the accounts of their contacts,” Suman explained.
The gang, according to police, is made up of a large number of Bangladeshis, some of them are always stationed in different states at the same time. The DCP stated: “They were handled by Hamza, who is the gang leader.”
Before committing robbery, the gang members used to hold the family members hostage and hit them with iron rods.