Matunga police officials have arrested two persons who allegedly rob travellers by sedating them. Police teams from Gujarat were also on the lookout for these accused after they drugged some of their men and escaped from their custody in March this year.
One of the accused hasbeen identified as Haji Hasam Sama, 37, resident of Goregaon and is wanted in murder, dacoity, robbery and multiple cases of drugging people and escaping with their valuables. His wife and brother are also involved with him although they are at large, the police said.
According to police officials, Sama was recently picked up on suspicion of being involved in a vehicle theft. “On a tip-off we arrested him and during interrogation, he accepted his involvement in crime. Sama is involved in at least nine cases of spiking drinks and escaping with valuables,” the police said. In November, the Vasai police registered a case against him. Sama had allegedly drugged five rickshaw drivers at Arnala beach, Vasai, Virar and Dahanu.
“Sama would either call up cab services for rides or hitchhike. His modus operandi would then be to initiate conversations with the drivers and offer them drinks. Once his victims were intoxicated, he would throw them out of their vehicle escape with their valuables such as gold chains, cash and bracelets,” said senior PI Balasaheb Kakad.
In September, Sama allegedly spiked the drink of a driver of a Swift car, which he had hired from a well-known travel company to travel from Nashik to Shirdi. Sama stole the car and sold it in Rajasthan. Similarly, he hired another Swift car to travel from Delhi to Jaipur, spiked the driver’s drink and later sold that car in Rajasthan too. He was involved in a similar case while travelling from Ajmer to Jodhpur. “He is involved in at least 40 criminal cases in Gujarat and Maharashtra,” said the officer.
