Lucknow, Nov 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has busted an inter-state criminal syndicate allegedly involved in a series of daring daylight robberies targeting cash couriers transporting money for spice and agricultural commodity traders, officials said on Sunday.
The STF arrested the mastermind of the gang, Dinesh Chandra Yadav alias Chhotu, along with five of his active associates during an operation early on Sunday.
The police also recovered Rs 48,45,000 in cash, along with weapons, vehicles and other articles suspected to have been used in the commission of the crimes.
According to officials, the STF received intelligence that members of the gang were assembling to distribute the proceeds of their robberies ahead of the Diwali festival.
Acting on the information, an STF team led by Inspector Hemant Bhushan Singh, under the supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar Singh, launched an operation and laid a blockade.
At around 1.50 am, the team intercepted and arrested six suspects near the gate of a cricket academy situated under the Sahara Bridge in the Gomti Nagar police station area of the Lucknow Commissionerate.
Apart from the "kingpin" Yadav, the arrested accused have been identified as Saurabh Yadav, 25, a resident of Lucknow; Aman alias Raman Yadav, 25, from Gomti Nagar in Lucknow; Saurabh Dixit, 22, also from Gomti Nagar; Mohit Kanoujia, 24, a resident of Lucknow; and Gyan Singh, 25, originally from Begusarai in Bihar and currently residing in Chinhat, Lucknow.
During interrogation, investigators reportedly uncovered the modus operandi adopted by the syndicate to identify and target cash couriers travelling between Gujarat and Lucknow.
According to the police, the gang depended on an informant named Amrit Lal Pal, who allegedly kept track of the movements of cash carriers and noted the registration numbers of scooters used by them.
Another operative, Kanoujia, was responsible for conducting reconnaissance on a motorcycle. He would allegedly monitor the movements of the couriers and alert other gang members as soon as a target began its journey, enabling the group to plan and execute the robbery.
The gang members would then intercept the couriers by deliberately ramming a car into their two-wheelers, causing them to fall on the road. Initially, the accused allegedly used a car to carry out the robberies. Later, they purchased another car using money obtained from previous heists and reportedly used it in subsequent operations.
Once the victims fell, the alleged mastermind, Yadav, would threaten them with a pistol, while other gang members assaulted them using iron rods and wooden sticks. The accused would then snatch bags containing large amounts of cash and flee from the spot, officials said.
Investigators said that questioning of the arrested suspects has linked the syndicate to several major robbery incidents reported across Lucknow. The recovery of cash, weapons, vehicles and other belongings during the operation is expected to assist the police in further investigating the gang's activities and establishing its involvement in additional cases.
The STF recovered a total of Rs 48,45,000 in cash from the six accused. Of the recovered amount, Rs 12,50,000 was seized from Dinesh Yadav, Rs 10,90,000 from Saurabh Yadav, Rs 11,10,000 from Aman Yadav, Rs 5,75,000 from Dixit, Rs 4,20,000 from Kanoujia, and Rs 4,00,000 from Gyan Singh.
Apart from the cash, the police also seized an illegal .32 bore pistol fitted with a magazine, along with two live cartridges. A car allegedly purchased using money obtained through robberies and subsequently used in the gang's operations was also recovered.
The STF further seized a motorcycle reportedly used by the accused for conducting reconnaissance and tracking the movements of their targets.
Seven mobile phones were also recovered from the arrested suspects. In addition, the police seized identity documents, driving licences and PAN cards belonging to victims and other associates, which are suspected to have been collected or retained during the criminal activities.
Following the arrests, a case has been registered at Gomti Nagar police station under Case Crime No. 491/2026. The accused have been booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act.
Local police have initiated further legal proceedings in the matter.
Source: IANS
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