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Mangaluru: The Mangaluru North police are investigating the looting of a 1,650 gm gold ingot worth Rs 1.5 crore by unidentified assailants.
According to the police, Mustafa, an office worker at a jewellery store in Hampankatta, was the victim of a gold heist and abduction on the night of September 26.
Mustafa was transporting the gold ingot to a shop on Car Street for purification. He had placed it under the seat of his two-wheeler. Near the Venkataramana Temple on Car Street, two men on a motorcycle intercepted him, blocked his path, and confronted him aggressively.
While he was distracted, four more suspects in a car stopped nearby. One of them pulled Mustafa off his scooter, causing his mobile phone to fall.
The suspects then threatened him with a knife, forced him into the car, and abducted him. During the abduction, they seized his phone and pursued the two-wheeler, demanding information about the gold.
Mustafa revealed that the ingot was hidden in his scooter. The gang then drove through State Bank – Pandeshwar – Fiza Mall – Gorigudde – Ujjodi – Service Road, where they transferred the gold from the scooter to the car.
Later, the assailants abandoned Mustafa by the roadside and fled, leaving the scooter behind. Mustafa borrowed a passerby’s phone to contact a friend, who alerted the store manager.
The manager, along with others, rushed to the spot and ensured Mustafa’s safety. Police have registered a case at Mangaluru North Police Station, and an investigation is underway.
The police are working on a clue in the case and are confident of arresting the accused at the earliest.