Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR : Capital Police has cracked the sensational Rs 13 lakh daylight robbery at Neelam Traders in Gandhi Market with the arrest of all three accused following a nearly three-week-long investigation, Itanagar Superintendent of Police (SP) Jummar Basar informed in a press conference held on Monday.
Basar said the robbery took place on June 22 at around 11:19 am when two persons entered the shop on the pretext of seeking assistance and viewing CCTV footage related to allegedly lost items. Once inside, one of the accused brandished a knife concealed inside a file cover, threatened the cashier and fled with around Rs.13 lakh in cash, while a third accomplice remained outside to keep watch. The entire incident was captured on CCTV cameras.
The SP said the case initially posed significant challenges as the accused had meticulously planned the robbery by changing clothes, avoiding CCTV-covered routes and concealing their movements. The investigation was further hampered as Smart City CCTV cameras along the suspected escape routes were not operational.
To crack the case, a special investigation team headed by the SDPO Itanagar and the Officer-in-Charge of Itanagar Police Station was constituted. The team scrutinised more than 500 hours of CCTV footage from private establishments and other locations, besides carrying out technical analysis, mobile phone tracking, source development, witness examination and extensive field verification.
Basar said the investigation led to the identification of the accused as Prem Rebe, Gungung Tagang and Yubi Kamchi. While Prem Rebe and Gungung Tagang allegedly entered the shop and executed the robbery, Yubi Kamchi acted as the lookout outside.
Following the robbery, the accused fled towards Seppa and frequently changed locations across East Kameng district, Assam and other parts of Arunachal Pradesh in an attempt to evade arrest, the SP said. However, sustained surveillance and intelligence gathering enabled police to trace and arrest Gungung Tagang and Yubi Kamchi at Seppa with the assistance of Seppa Police.
Basar informed that the prime accused, Prem Rebe, continued to evade arrest by moving between resorts and temporary accommodations while spending the stolen money. After nearly three weeks of sustained efforts, he too was tracked down and arrested at Seppa with the assistance of East Kameng Police.
The investigation further revealed that a substantial portion of the looted cash had been spent on purchasing a four-wheeler, two-wheelers, mobile phones and other valuables. Police have recovered several of these assets, while funds lying in one of the accused’s bank accounts have also been frozen.
The SP appreciated the support extended by East Kameng Police, particularly the Officer-in-Charge of Seppa Police Station, Constable Shankar Taniang and Constable Sanu Raj of Naharlagun Police Station, in successfully apprehending the accused.
Basar said the case was solved through sustained field operations, technical investigation and effective inter-district coordination despite the absence of continuous CCTV coverage and the accused’s deliberate attempts to conceal their identities and movements.
