Five arrested for drugging and stealing train passengers

CHENNAI: Government Railway Police on Tuesday arrested five Bihar men for allegedly drugging and robbing train passengers, resembling the ‘biscuit bandits’ who wreaked havoc on trains few years ago.

The arrested persons were working at knitting units in Tiruppur and were staying at Mills stop area in Surya colony, Tiruppur, police said.

Railway police were acting based on a couple of complaints from passengers who stated that their belongings were stolen after they were drugged during the train travel.

Tiruppur railway police had registered two FIRs based on the complaints from passengers after which a special team was formed on the orders of ADGP (additional director general of police), Railways, V Vanitha.

Police said that suspects were actively monitored on CCTV records and on Tuesday, the suspects were held near parcel office in Tiruppur railway station.

The arrested persons were identified as A Mohammed Salman (27), Y Mannuwar Alam (25), S Mohammed Azad (32), R Abdulala (31), N Mohammad Mahmud Alam (31).

All five persons are from Chakai village in Araia district of Bihar, police said.

Police seized 30 cellphones, Rs 10,000 in cash, anaesthetic pills and biscuits mixed with anaesthesia from them.

Investigations revealed that they were involved in stealing belongings of passengers at bus stands and at market places too apart from passengers in Railway stations. They were produced before a magistrate and remanded to judicial custody.