Two armed heists thwarted in city, 12 held

City police today claimed to have foiled two robberies in the city since last Sunday with the arrest of 12 criminals along with arms.
One robbery was prevented by the Crime Branch's Anti Motor Vehicle Theft Squad in South Mumbai's Sewri area yesterday, while the other was foiled in suburban Malwani by local police on Sunday.
In Sewri case, the arrested accused were identified as Gulam Shaikh, Rajendra Roy, Alam Ansari, Ramzan Ansari, Naushad Ansari and Sharif Ansari, who have criminal background.
A reliable information was received by the Crime Branch squad that an armed gang plotted a robbery and the Hindustan Petroleum pump would be struck yesterday, police said.

Accordingly, a trap was laid near the petrol station when the six persons with suspicious behaviour were found assembled in the locality.
The sleuths pounced upon the suspects when a country-made pistol, five live rounds, a steel chopper, a dagger and chilli powder were found in their possession.

"The accused admitted they gathered to engineer a heist on the petrol pump. The accused have criminal cases registered against them in the past," said a crime branch officer.
In the Malwani case, the accused had convened at Mhada Malwani to commit dacoity at a jewellery shop last Sunday.
"We laid a trap and caught six accused, who have criminal background, including the cases such as murder and robbery," said Prakash Patil, senior inspector at Malwani police station.

Three choppers, a screw driver, nylon rope and chilli powder were recovered from the six accused, identified as Arif Ansari, Shabbir Khan, Salman Shaikh, Shahadat Ansari, Farooq Shaikh and Sarrik Ansari. Further probe is on.