Inter-district robber gang busted; eight arrested

Faizabad, Jan 29 (PTI) Eight members of aninter-district gang of robbers, involved in loot and robberyin eastern districts of Uttar Pradesh, were arrested, policesaid.

The gang used to loot copper wires and other metalequipments from electric sub-stations, they said.

The group was involved in robbery at over a dozenelectric sub-stations in Faizabad, Pratapgarh, Jaunpur andSultanpur, they added.

Elaborating on the modus operandi, they said, aroundnine to ten persons targetted electric sub-stations in remoteplaces, and loot copper wires and other metal equipments.

The members of the gang took sub-station staffhostage and target cable wires from electric poles a fewkilometres.

The latest robbery, in which the gang was involved isat Sohawal electric sub-station in Faizabad district, few daysago, where, they took hostage the incharge of the station,Tayyab Ahmad and decamped with copper wires and other metalsincluding Ahmad''s cell phone, they said.

The gang was also involved in highway robbery, wherethey used to puncture tyres of trucks and tankers, overpowerthe drivers and their assistants and decamp with valuables andcash.

The gang was traced through electronic surveillanceconnected to the mobile phone of Sohawal electric sub-stationincharge Tayyab Ahmad cell phone.

Faizabad Senior Superintendent of Police S N Singhsaid the gang was traced by various inputs provided byinformers and other systems, for which the Special OperationGroup was constituted and arrested eight persons.