City crime branch sleuths have arrested three members of a gang instrumental in a spate of robberies across the city.
Interestingly, after the gang recently looted an angadia employee, its leader without hesitation swindled his partners in crime.
The arrested persons have been identified as gang leader Mohammad Ayub Shaikh, and accomplices — Mohammad Anwar Elahi Khan and Noor Mohammad Mehboob Shaikh.
According to the police, on the night of December 19, the victim (name withheld), who works in an angadia firm at Kalbadevi, was headed to CST railway station in a taxi to deliver ornaments worth Rs14 lakh to a client in Hyderabad. On Mahapalika Marg, he was looted at gunpoint by four men on two motorcycles.
“Post-robbery, Khan and his rider went in one direction with two stolen bags, while Ayub and Noor went another way. When we grilled Khan in front of his gang members, he revealed that he had fled after fleeing the spot he had gone to his hotel room in Dongri, left the ornaments there, stuffed the bags with clothes and taken them to Kurla to meet his accomplices,” said an officer requesting anonymity.
When they were shown the bags and told that the robbery was a failed attempt, the gang members believed him immediately and never suspected a thing, he added.
“On a tip-off, we arrested the trio on Monday from the Churchgate and seized stolen ornaments worth Rs13.25 lakh, a pistol, a chopper, nine cartridges, five cellphones and one stolen bike,” said the officer.
“We suspect Khan gave the remaining goods to the rider, while asking him to flee to Muzaffar Nagar on December 21. We’re on the lookout for the said biker,” the officer added.
