Abbas Raja, a hired robber from Uttar Pradesh, was apprehended by detectives of the Anti-Dacoity Section of the Kolkata Police’s Detective Department in connection with the Rs 3 crore gold theft in the Sinthee area of north Kolkata. Abbas had initially fled to Dubai after the robbery and worked at a gold shop there, pretending to be a law-abiding employee. However, upon the expiration of his tourist visa, he planned to return to Uttar Pradesh and hide. Kolkata Police detectives arrested him upon his arrival at Lucknow airport based on a lookout notice.
The robbery occurred on October 30 last year, where the accused, armed with pistols, intercepted a scooter outside a gold jewellery workshop in Sinthee and escaped with gold valued at Rs 3 crore. Investigations revealed that the crime was orchestrated by S.K. Israil, in collaboration with his associates Saidul and Masum. Abbas Raja, an accomplice hired by Israil, procured firearms from Uttar Pradesh and traveled to Kolkata. He, alongside Masum, executed the armed robbery and later distributed the stolen gold in the Hooghly district.
Following the robbery, Abbas journeyed by train from Hooghly to Burdwan and Asansol before returning to Uttar Pradesh. Meanwhile, Masum, Saidul, and Israil were apprehended by detectives, and a portion of the stolen gold was recovered. Abbas’s residence in the Akbarpur police station area of Ambedkar Nagar district in Uttar Pradesh was raided during interrogation. It was discovered that after his return from Kolkata, Abbas made arrangements to travel to Dubai, where he secured a tourist visa and found employment at a gold shop owned by an acquaintance.
Upon Abbas’s arrival in Lucknow after the visa expiration, immigration officials detained him at the airport, alerting Kolkata Police. He was arrested around 1 a.m. on Sunday and transported to Kolkata on Monday. Abbas is still in possession of approximately 700 grams of stolen gold, and efforts are being made to take him to Uttar Pradesh for further searches to recover the remaining stolen gold. The other three accused, presently in judicial custody, will be questioned at the Presidency Correctional Home to aid in the recovery of the remaining stolen gold.
