RAJKOT: The Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) of Rajkot city police on Tuesday arrested three jobless youths in connection with the armed robbery of Rs 21.7 lakh at a courier firm last month.
The accused have also confessed to having executed nine such loots in Rajkot city in the past month.
Police have so recovered cash, ready-made garments worth Rs 17.50 lakh from the accused identified as Hitesh Dav (22), Karan Balasra (22) and Kishan Mayaad (24), all residents of Velnath Society near Kothariya Chokdi in Rajkot city.
Cops also seized two bikes, knives and mobile phones from the accused.
Police said that Balasara used to work at a hardware firm that made door handles, but for the last few months he was unemployed.
Dav has a criminal past with cases of bootlegging and under Arms Act pending against him.
The accused had entered the office of Balaji Courier on May 5 posing as customers.
They told the firm’s owner Harji Bhogayta that they wanted to send a courier to Bhavnagar.
The trio downed the shop’s shutters and looted Rs 21.7 lakh cash from the owner and escaped.
“The accused were captured in the CCTV footage.
Based on the footage we nabbed them on Tuesday for questioning.
Not only did they confess the loot at the courier firm, but they also confessed to nine other loots which were not registered with the police.
They had carried out the loot the last one month,” said police.
According to police, the accused used to target ready-made garment showrooms during the afternoon hours when there are fewer customers and minimum sales staff on duty.
They would pose as customers and then loots cash and ready-made garments.
During interrogation, the trio told cops that they also planned to rob two doctors in their clinics, but had to put off the plan at the last moment due to some reasons.
The accused had targeted shops like Khodal Fashion, S P Fashion, Mayani Shop, and a laboratory among others.