Sambalpur: In a major breakthrough in the daring Mannapuram Gold Finance heist in Odisha’s Sambalpur, police have not only arrested four more accused persons but also recovered 14 pistols from them.
However, what has become a matter of grave concern is the fact that the sophisticated firearms recovered from the arrested robbers were reported to have been procured from Pakistan.
After finding that the firearms found in the possession of the accused persons were sources from Pakistan, police have intensified investigation to ascertain the channel through which these weapons were brought to India.
Efforts are also on to ascertain whether the firearms brought from Pakistan were used in the Mannapuram Gold Finance heist and other robberies committed in different places of Odisha. The loot at Mannapuram Gold Finance office in Sambalpur had taken place by the robbers at gunpoint on January 3, this year.
As per Sambalpur SP Mukesh Bhamoo, police have cracked all parts of the operation in the daring heist at Sambalpur except the disposal. However, police have ascertained that the looted gold fetched a huge sum which was used to procure sophisticated firearms, he said, adding police have recovered around 14 pistols from the possession of the accused.
In the latest arrest, the four were nabbed with the help of the Delhi police. While the total number of accused arrested in the case rose to eight, the firearms recovered from them are now reported to be with the Delhi Police for further probe.
The four were identified as Vikash Kumar and Sanjeev Kumar Paswan, both from Vaishali in Bihar. The other two Yash Anand and Piyush Raj are from Patna. All four are said to be close associates of the alleged mastermind Subodh Singh.
With the fresh arrests, police claimed they are now close to solving the entire case. IG Northern Range, Himansu Lal told the media on Friday evening that the case is almost resolved and all the accused are now in police custody.
“The involvement of Subodh Singh and his gang has been clearly established following a thorough investigation. They have a very wide network across the country. The process of recovery of the gold will start soon,” Lal said.
SP Mukesh Bhamoo said, Subodh had entrusted Vikash to execute the loot in Sambalpur. Vikash and Piyush had earlier robbed 25 kg gold in Rajasthan and 17 kg in Madhya Pradesh. The planning, execution, logistics and disposal were all handled by different teams to mislead the police.
The robbery had taken place on January 3 at the Mannapuram Gold Finance office in Budharaja, Sambalpur. The total value of the stolen assets is estimated to be around Rs 20 crore.
A senior police official said that the final phase of investigation will focus on ascertaining the disposal route of the gold and its recovery.
