Jammu, May 8 (IANS) Officials said on Friday that in a well-planned and coordinated joint operation, Delhi Police and J&K Police arrested three accused from Kathua district involved in multiple robbery cases in the national capital.

A police statement said that three persons accused in multiple robbery cases in Delhi were arrested in a joint operation by Delhi Police and Jammu and Kashmir Police in the district on Thursday.

Police officials said an FIR was registered against the accused at North Dwarka police station in Delhi, and the trio was allegedly involved in several robbery cases in the national capital.

Officials identified the arrested individuals as Sahil, Anshul and Himanshu. They said the accused had fled Delhi after committing the crimes and had taken shelter in Jammu and Kashmir.

A senior police officer said that after receiving inputs regarding the movement of the accused, special naka checking was intensified at various toll plazas and strategic locations, while vehicle details were circulated among Lakhanpur and Kathua police units.

The officer said the accused had crossed the Nasri area on the Jammu-Kashmir highway around 4.30 a.m. on Wednesday, but later managed to evade the police presence, possibly after receiving information about the strong deployment at Lakhanpur.

To trap the accused, Kathua police and local officers devised a strategy on Thursday by deliberately reducing visible police deployment at the Lakhanpur naka and toll plaza to create an impression that police attention had shifted elsewhere due to another ongoing murder investigation.

Believing the route to be clear, the accused reportedly moved towards Kathua on Thursday evening, following which police teams intercepted them in a coordinated operation.

The accused tried to flee and also rammed their vehicle into a Delhi Police vehicle during the operation, but they were successfully apprehended after police secured alternate escape routes, including the Bhagthali route, the officer said.

Police described the operation as a major success achieved through close coordination between Delhi Police and Jammu and Kashmir Police.

Officials said thorough searches of the accused and their vehicle were conducted jointly by Delhi Police and local police, but no weapon or suspicious material was recovered from their possession.

Further investigation into the robbery cases and additional offences related to the escape attempt and damage to police vehicles will be carried out by Delhi Police, officials added.

In the past, as well as organised gangs of robbers and thieves have carried out crimes in neighbouring states and moved to J&K to cool their heels and vice versa.

–IANS

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