Five Bangladeshi gang members held in Delhi for dacoities committed in Goa

Panaji, May 1 (PTI) The Goa Police have arrested five Bangladeshi nationals, who are part of an inter-state gang, for their alleged involvement in incidents of dacoity reported last year in the coastal state, a top police official said on Friday.

The five accused were nabbed in Delhi during the intervening night of April 14 and 15, Goa Director General of Police (DGP) Alok Kumar said in a press conference.

Their arrest was a fallout of a year-long, multi-state investigation involving coordinated efforts by the crime branch and the North Goa Police. The sixth accused is expected to be brought to the state shortly, he said.

Two cases of dacoity were reported last year, one each from Dona Paula on April 20 and Ganeshpuri in Mapusa on October 7. Following

the incidents, the police launched an extensive probe, sending teams to several cities, including Belagavi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati and locations in the northeastern states, to trace the accused, the DGP said.

The investigation involved detailed analysis of CCTV footage, technical surveillance and intelligence inputs from across the country, which helped identify the gang members, all of whom are natives of Bangladesh. Their details were shared with police units in other states to facilitate their arrest, he added.

The breakthrough came when the Delhi Police’s crime branch apprehended the accused a fortnight back when they were about to commit another dacoity in the national capital. Five of them were subsequently brought to Goa in a train on a transit remand.

They were produced before a judicial magistrate in Panaji on April 30, which remanded them in the police custody of 11 days.

Police said the accused had illegally entered India from Bangladesh through the Meghalaya border. One of the key accused had previously been lodged in Colvale jail and was familiar with Goa, playing a crucial role in bringing other gang members to the state.

The gang carried out reconnaissance of targeted residential areas, observing the routines of residents and identifying vulnerable entry points. They operated in small groups to avoid detection and avoided using electronic communication, the police said.

During the robberies, the accused would gain entry into properties, assault and restrain the residents before fleeing with gold ornaments and other valuables. They were armed with locally procured weapons, such as knives and rods.

Earlier, the police had arrested their local associates in Goa who provided logistical support and shelter to the gang in both cases.

“Further investigation is underway to recover the stolen property and weapons used in the crimes,” the DGP said, adding that provisions of the Foreigners Act would also be invoked against the accused. PTI RPS NP