After Bengaluru ATM cash-van heist, fake ED officials loot jewellery worth Rs 3 cr in Hubballi

Hubballi: A group posing as Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials took away gold jewellery worth more than Rs 3 crore in Karnataka's Hubballi.

According to the complaint, a team of five claiming to be ED officers intercepted a Kerala-based jewellery trader near Chennamma Circle on Neeligin Road on November 20 and made away with 2.942 kg of gold jewellery and Rs 2 lakh in cash.

The victim, Sudeen, is a jewellery merchant who routinely carries ornaments to various jewellery stores to take orders from them. On November 15, he had arrived from Mangaluru to Belagavi with assorted jewellery—including chains, bracelets, rings, earrings, necklaces, mangalsutras, lockets and bangles—worth Rs 3.2 crore. He had taken orders from shops in Belagavi, Dharwad and Hubballi and was staying at a hotel opposite the Old Bus Stand in Hubballi.

On November 20, while returning to his hotel after visiting Dharwad, the group stopped him on Neeligin Road, spoke to him in Hindi, showed fake identity cards, and asked him to come for "questioning". They also accused the victim of being involved in illegal gold trading. They forced the victim and his worker Vivek into their vehicle and snatched their mobile phones.

On their way to Belagavi, the accused dropped the worker at Kittur and later dropped Sudeen at M K Hubballi and escaped with gold and cash.

Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner N Shashi Kumar said it might be the act of people known to the victim, and it is an impersonation case.

A case has been registered with Hubballi Suburban police station on November 22 (Saturday), and the case has been handed over to City Crime Bureau (CCB) police, who have launched an investigation and are examining CCTV footage to trace the suspects, he noted.

Recently, an ATM cash-van carrying Rs 7.11 crore was lotted in Bengaluru by men impersonating as RBI officers.

The gang intercepted the vehicle, forced open the rear compartment, grabbed multiple cash boxes, and abandoned the van before dispersing in different vehicles.

However, Bengaluru Police acted fast and arrested six persons, including a police constable and an ex-employee of a cash logistics firm. They also recovered Rs 6.29 crore.