Two held for drugging, robbing bus passengers in interstate theft racket

Police arrested two men, Adil Ali and Alok Mishra, for drugging and robbing bus passengers by offering sedative-laced food and water. The duo was caught after CCTV and ATM evidence linked them to a robbery case reported in August

New Delhi: Police here have arrested two members of an inter-state gang that targeted bus passengers by offering them sedative-laced food and water before fleeing with their valuables, an official said on Wednesday.

The accused, Adil Ali (25) and Alok Mishra (23), were apprehended after an extensive investigation involving CCTV analysis, police said. The police recovered 16 stolen mobile phones, one laptop, gold and silver ornaments and many other items, they said.

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The matter came to light after a complaint was lodged by Usman, who was drugged and robbed while travelling from Anand Vihar to Moradabad in a Uttar Pradesh Roadways bus on August 13, they said.

“During the journey, a co-passenger befriended him and offered him a bottle of water. After drinking it, the victim lost consciousness and woke up in a Moradabad hospital to find his phone, cash and bag missing. He later discovered that over Rs 40,000 had been withdrawn from his bank accounts through fraudulent transactions,” a senior police officer said.

A team examined CCTV footage from an ATM in Yamuna Vihar, where Rs 40,000 was withdrawn using the victim’s card. Further analysis of the mobile network data helped trace the accused to Shastri Nagar in Delhi.

Both accused were later apprehended, and during interrogation, they revealed that they used to mix sedatives in snacks or bottled water, which they offered to passengers boarding long-distance buses from Anand Vihar and Kaushambi bus stands.

“Once the victims became unconscious, the accused stole their valuables and later used their debit or credit cards for fraudulent withdrawals,” said the officer. The officer also said further investigation is underway to determine the involvement of other members.