ITANAGAR, Oct 8 - Itanagar Police has averted a bank dacoity and arrested nine criminals, who were planning to rob a bank, prompting Arunachal Home Minister Tanga Byaling and DGP S Nithianandam to felicitate the �alert� police personnel with cash awards and commendation certificates.
Police also seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including eight small firearms and 73 rounds of live ammo, besides a car and a motorbike, tools to break open locks, nine mobile phones along with six unused SIM cards and some cash.
The suspects, who were apprehended through a collaboration of the police in Itanagar, Naharlagun and Kimin under Papum Pare district and Yazali in Lower Subansiri district, have been booked, City SP Devendra Arya said.
Sharing the police�s success story with the media here this evening, the SP informed that the team, constituted on an input that few notorious criminals were planning a bank dacoity, got the first breakthrough when a �source� informed about the involvement of a criminal named Aftab Sheikh, a known bike lifter.
Acting on this information, a search team was immediately detailed to verify all known addresses and hideoutsand zeroed in on his wife, who disclosed about a new cell number Aftab called from. She also disclosed that one Bamang Rokpu had called her husband after which he has disappeared.
A raid was planned in Senkiview area on the information that Bamang�s car was sighted in the area. The raid was successful and Bamang along with Tamchi Ponung and Tamchi Natung were detained on October 1. During their grilling, the trio disclosed the entire plan. The SP said, as per their statement, the entire conspiracy was hatched by Hiba Tajuk, a known bank dacoit.
They also disclosed the involvement of Bamang John, who is Hiba�s accomplice. Also involved was Bake Takar, who has been involved in three earlier robberies with arms.
Raids were subsequently carried out in Nyokum-Lapang area from where close associates Hiba Siku and Hiba Changriang were arrested. Hiba Siku was wanted in many cases of robberies/dacoity and was evading police arrest for last one year.
Trap was laid to arrest Aftab Sheikh and police was successful in arresting him. Raids were carried at different places for arresting Bake Takker, who was subsequently arrested from Itanagar.
On October 5, police got the information that Hiba Tajuk is hiding in Posa/Yazali. He was subsequently arrested.
