Kundannur theft; Accused bought cardamom worth Rs 14 lakhs with money stolen at gunpoint

KOCHI: More information surface in the incident of a five-member gang stealing Rs 80 lakh at gunpoint in Kundannur. The police have found that the gang bought cardamom with the stolen money. Cardamom worth for Rs 14 lakh was purchased. Lenin, a cardamom farmer and the 12th accused in the case has been arrested. The police said that it was Lenin, who hid Joji of Alangad in Aluva, the mastermind behind the theft and the first accused in the case, in the cardamom plantation. The police have seized the cardamom and it has been shifted to the Maradu police.

Subin, the owner of a steel sales centre in Kundannur, was robbed off Rs 80 lakh at gunpoint. Two more accused were arrested in the case the other day. A team led by the head of a special investigation team and assistant city police commissioner P Rajkumar arrested Jaisal Francis (30) of Murickassery in Idukki and Abins Kuriakose (29) of Udumbanchola in Idukki, who stole the money wearing a mask.

After the robbery, the accused fled to Pondicherry and then to Bengaluru. They were arrested with the help of cyberdome. Both posed as hired goons in the robbery. A search is on for another accused Rahul. Seven including Saji of Vaduthala, who was with Joji, Vishnu of Nattika in Thrissur and Nikhil Narendranath, an advocate in Kochi, who helped the gang, Asif Iqbal, Bushra, Nihas and Arjun were held earlier.

Joji approached businessman Subin, saying that he would return Rs 1.20 crore if paid Rs 80 lakh. When the businessman was waiting with Rs 80 lakh at his establishment in Kundannur on October 8 at 3 pm, the masked gang armed with guns and pepper spray stole Rs 80 lakh and fled in vehicles. Joji and another accused Vishnu, who were present there at the time of the robbery, escaped with the masked gang. Within 24 hours, the police arrested Vishnu from Nattika in Thrissur and recovered two vehicles, the gun used by the robbery gang, and Rs 20 lakh in cash stolen from the businessman.