TEAM HERALD
PANJIJM: Goa police Monday claimed to have made a breakthrough in a dacoity case within 24 hours, with the arrests of three of six persons who had looted a Maharashtra-registered truck at Loutolim early Sunday morning.
Addressing a press conference at Police Headquarters Monday, Deputy Inspector General Dr O P Mishra stated that three unemployed youth from Sancoale ~ Joseph Vales (19), Navin Naik and Hrishikesh Naik, both in their early 20s, were arrested in the wee hours and their two motorbikes which they used to rob the non-Goan truck drivers have been attached. Three others, whose identity was not disclosed to the media, are absconding and one motorbike is yet to be seized.
“The accused had looted a truck driver Shashikant Verma at about 5am on Sunday at Loutolim. The truck bearing registration number MH-04-FD-4990 was carrying goods for an event organized by ICICI bank,” Mishra said.
The youth had robbed Rs 20,000 and a Micromax-make cell phone from the driver even as the co-workers were fast asleep in the truck, unaware of the theft.
With the arrest of three accused, the police are expecting to solve several other similar cases which are reported on this stretch of the internal road. The senior officer said they are verifying details of those cases.
Following the incident reported by the truck driver, Mishra said a team was formed to nab the culprits. “The Maina-Curtorim PI (Gurudas Kadam) intercepted a motorbike with two pillions but they fled. He alerted the PCR van and after a chase, they were caught,” the DIG said. The team recovered one plastic pistol, knife and a cell phone from them.
The officer said the modus operandi of the local criminal gang was to stop non-Goan registered trucks with one group starting
a conversation with their victims, while other groups would suddenly attack him and loot the vehicles.
One of the two motorcycles seized is registered in
the name of the father of
an accused.
