PANJIM: Five Bangladeshi nationals allegedly involved in violent dacoities across Goa were brought to the State on Thursday following their arrest in Delhi earlier this month. The accused-identified as Suman Hauldhar alias Pannu (35), Saifful Islam (31), Sohail Sheikh (35), Md. Nasir (48), Noor Islam alias Nadim Khan (56), and Zakir (40) were apprehended by the Delhi Police Crime Branch in a joint operation with Goa Police. While six were arrested, five have been transported to Goa so far and are currently in the custody of the Crime Branch at Ribandar.
A team of 22 Goa Police personnel, including two Police Inspectors, travelled to Delhi to execute the transfer. The accused arrived in Goa via the Rajdhani Express and were later produced before the Merces Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Court, which remanded them to 11 days of police custody. Police said the arrests are connected to a string of co-ordinated dacoities reported in Mapusa, Dona Paula, and Panjim. In one case, a family in Mapusa was assaulted, tied up, and robbed of cash and jewellery worth Rs 35 lakh. In another, residents in Panjim were confined while the gang fled with nearly 1 kg of gold and cash.
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Investigators believe the group operated using a “hit-run-hide” strategy, targeting affluent households-often with elderly occupants and executing robberies with precision before fleeing the State.
The arrest followed a late-night encounter on April 15 near Sarai Kale Khan in South Delhi. Acting on specific intelligence, the Anti-Extortion and Kidnapping Cell (AEKC) of the Crime Branch laid a trap as the gang allegedly planned another major heist. When intercepted, the suspects reportedly opened fire on police, triggering a brief gun battle. Officers retaliated and successfully apprehended six accused, while two others managed to escape. Weapons including country-made pistols, cartridges, a dagger, and house-breaking tools were recovered.
Police are now interrogating the accused to uncover the full extent of the network and identify possible local collaborators. Authorities are also examining links to other unsolved cases in Goa.
