Cops foil loot bid; nab three with firearm, cartridges

Vadodara: The detection of crime branch (DCB) arrested a gang of looters planning an assault in the city on Thursday. The three men were nabbed after the cops received a tip-off that they were travelling with firearm on a two-wheeler. Cops intercepted the trio in Gorwa area and foiled their nefarious plans.
“We frisked the trio and found a country-made pistol in the helmet box of their two-wheeler. They were also carrying nine live cartridges. We seized the pistol and cartridges and took them in to custody,” said Jaydeepsinh Jadeja, DCP (crime). When cops asked why they were carrying a pistol, the accused spilled the beans about their plan to loot a businessman.
“They said that they had done recce of the businessman in Subhanpura area, who they knew carried around Rs 20 lakh with him daily. They planned to loot the cash and so bought the pistol for Rs 7,000. The accused had decided to strike on Thursday afternoon but we nabbed them and foiled their plan,” Jadeja told TOI. The trio has been identified as Moin Rathod, Sunil Rathod and Manharsinh Rana, all residents of the city.
During interrogation, police also learnt that all three are hisotry-sheeters with Moin being accused of stealing from a shop where he was working last year, while Sunil and Manharsinh were arrested last year for selling bogus visa and passports. “Wanting to earn some big money quickly, the trio planned the loot. We are now trying to track down the weapons dealer from whom they bought the pistol,” Jadeja said. The police will seek their remand after they are produced in a local court on Friday.