Mangaluru: Police avert highway robbery, arrest 8 from TB gang

Mangaluru: The police here have arrested eight persons from the notorious TB gang who allegedly conspired to rob motorists on the highway at night in the city and other parts of the Dakshina Kannada district.

The eight have been identified as Tausir (28), Mohammed Arafat (29), Taslim (27), Nasir Hussain (37), Mohammed Rafeeq (37), Mohammed Safwan (25), Mohammed Jainuddin (24) and Mohammed Unaiz (26).

These culprits were caught by police officials from the CCB while they were ready for a highway robbery at Parari near Ulaibettu on the night of April 12.

Two swords, one dragon knife, eight mobile phones, five monkey caps, three packets of chilli powder, one Toyota Innova car and Rs 10,89,490 cash was seized from the accused.

It was reported that the gang leader, Batish, had lent Rs 12 lakhs to Bengaluru-based Zaid. When Zaid failed to return the money, Batish ordered the gang members in Mangaluru to kill him.

However, the gang members could not find Zaid in Bengaluru. So, they decided to commit highway robbery in Mangaluru and collect the money Zaid owed to the gang leader.

The TB gang got its name from arrested criminal Pattunji Tausir and Batish, a fugitive presently living in Saudi Arabia.