Balasore: The mastermind of the daring daylight heist, in which gun-toting miscreants looted about Rs 45 lakh along with jewellery from a Union Bank of India branch in Odisha’s Balasore district, has been arrested, SP Sagarika Nath informed on Monday.
He has been identified as Tayyab Ali Mulla.”The arrested is among the four accused, who had plotted and executed the crime. He was nabbed from North 24 Parganas of neighbouring West Bengal after a police team trailed him for seven days. 854 gm gold worth Rs 49 lakh has been seized from him,” she told a presser.
The SP further said that the gang comprised of 14 members, all of whom have been identified. “Eight gang members were at the spot on April 26. The available visuals had revealed that six armed dacoits entered the bank and looted Rs 45 lakh in cash and 8 kg of gold while two were waiting with vehicles at Digha to escape after executing the crime. Four other locals worked as spotters for the gang and they have been nabbed,” she said.
Eight had entered Odisha from the neighbouring state for the bank robbery, while four were locals and two were waiting at the Digha, she explained further.
The gang used to operate in border areas of Odisha and West Bengal and mostly targeted banks and jewellery shops. “They were involved in at least two similar cases in Basta, one in Bhograi and east and west Medinipur areas,” she said.
On July 5, six accused involved in the bank dacoity were arrested. Three among them were from Kamarda in the district. Police had then recovered Rs 6 lakh and 300 gram of gold ornaments worth Rs 15 lakh from them.
The remaining seven will be nabbed soon, she said, adding that pictures of the accused will be put up at banks and jewellery shops for public awareness.
