BENGALURU: The city police cracked the city’s biggest cash dacoity from a cash management services vehicle in daylight on November 19 by arresting three key accused and recovering Rs 5.76 crore.
The arrested include Police Constable Annappa Naik, attached to Govindapura police station in the East division of Bengaluru City Police, a former employee of CMS cash management firm identified as Xavier and CMS firm vehicles transport in charge, Gopal Prasad.
The dacoity initially appeared to be a flawlessly executed, insider-assisted operation. It involved the hijacking of a CMS currency chest van carrying Rs 7.11 crore.
The criminals, posing as RBI regulatory officers, intercepted the van around 12.48 pm near the Ashoka Pillar in Jayanagar and took control of the cash boxes with the SUV transporting it. They went towards Dairy Circle, filled the cash in their SUV and escaped around 1.16 pm.
Police commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said the incident was alerted to our police helpline two hours after it occurred, and the location provided was in East Bengaluru while the incident happened in South Bengaluru. So, there was a delay in reaching the spot and beginning the probe.
A team of 200 officials and staff from the Central Crime Branch and South division was formed to nab the accused and recover the money. The teams spread to Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. One of the arrested is the incharge of CMS firm, another is an ex-employee and the third is a police constable.
Efforts continue to nab the other accused involved in the case, Singh said. All three accused will be taken into police custody for further investigation.
According to Singh, the miscreants planned the dacoity for the last three months and did the recce of the area for the last 15 days. They chose shadow locations not under the surveillance of CCTV cameras and used multiple vehicles with fake registration numbers to mislead the police investigation. The accused communicated in different languages.
Based on technical evidence, CCTV footage, and human intelligence, we arrested three persons, all residents of Bengaluru. As of today, we have interrogated 30 persons. The crime was committed by a gang of six to eight persons, Singh said.
Annappa trained the gang on how to commit the crime without leaving clues using his police skills. The incharge used to give the locations of the cash-carrying vehicle, and Xavier received the money from them after they exited the city. An SUV used in the crime was found in Chittoor district with broken chests, a senior officer said.
Singh said the CMS firm has lapses in guidelines to be followed while transporting the cash. The RBI guidelines were not followed, and I will be writing a letter to cancel its licence.
Get an chance to win ₹5000 Amazon Voucher by taking part in India's Biggest Habit Index! Take the survey hereHM Chaithanya Swamy is a Special Correspondent at The Times of In...
Read MoreHM Chaithanya Swamy is a Special Correspondent at The Times of India, Bengaluru, with 15 years of experience. He has established a strong reputation in crime and civic reporting, covering a wide range of issues including traffic challenges, cybercrime, and criminal trends in Bengaluru. His reporting spans high-profile investigations led by agencies including National Investigation Agency (NIA), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and Directorate of Enforcement (ED), as well as key state police agencies, court proceedings, and crimes against women and children.
Read LessExpand