Ongole: Interstate highway robbers gang nabbed

Ongole: South Coastal Range DIG Dr CM Trivikram Varma and Prakasam SP Malika Garg announced that the district police have arrested the mastermind behind inter-State highway robberies and are hunting down the remaining gang members. They said that the police have recovered articles and cash worth Rs 23.60 lakh from the accused, 91 per cent of Rs 25.90 lakh worth of property looted.

Explaining the arrest of the kingpin, DIG Trivikrama Varma said that on August 14, 2021, Gudlur police registered a case of stealing the boxes of DOLO 650 tablets from a parked container by breaking open it. As similar offences were already registered in Tangutur, Sri City, Kovuru, Bangarupalem, Kanipakam, Dagadarthy of Chittoor, Nellore and Prakasam districts in the last few weeks, the DIG and SP took a serious note of it and ordered Kandukur police to trace and nab the criminals.

They formed teams with Kandukur DSP K Srinivasuku, Kandukur CI Sriram, Gudluru SI K Mallikarjun, SIs Kandukur, Ulavapadu and VV Palem and their staff and started vigilance. Based on the intelligence, the teams visited Tamil Nadu and met the officials to gather information on the criminals robbing trucks and containers by using their EICHER truck.

Meanwhile, a similar crime was reported at Isukadarsi on August 27, 2021, in which the robbers looted 23 bags of readymade garments and were heading to Tamil Nadu in the EICHER truck. Based on the information, Kandukur police observed the said truck at Tangutur toll plaza and tried to stop it. However, the criminals escaped by leaving the truck and stolen property behind.

Since then, police teams stationed in Tamil Nadu successfully traced the mastermind of the robberies, Masilamani Prakash of Mannadi in Chennai.

The DIG said that Prakash formed a gang with Muthu, Pon Raj and Kumar from Chennai and is committing robberies on stationed trucks and containers on national highway by forcefully opening them. They decamp to Chennai with the looted goods and articles in their truck immediately and sell the property at Moor Market in Chennai, Friday Bazaar at Meenambakam and Zummerath Bazaar in Hyderabad to make quick money.

The DIG said the accused was involved in 10 crimes in Chittoor, Nellore and Prakasam districts in 2021, and the search for the remaining gang members is on. Trivikrama Varma appreciated SP Malika Garg, DSP Srinivasulu, CI Sriram and their team members for nabbing the kingpin and identifying the remaining gang members, and presented commendation

certificates to them.