Kozhikode (Kerala), March 15 The RPF team has cracked down on a gang based in Bihar that drugged train passengers and stole their valuables, officials said on Sunday.
Those arrested were identified as Abdulla (34), Muhammed Mahamood Alam (35), and Muhammed Safar (40), all from the Araria district in Bihar.
According to Railway Protection Force officials, the accused allegedly mixed sedatives into a biscuit and offered it to a fellow passenger while travelling on the Malabar Express from Mangaluru to Kozhikode on March 13.
After the victim fell unconscious, the gang stole his belongings, including cash, mobile phones, and a laptop.
Following a complaint, the RPF, along with the Railway Police, launched an investigation.
The team, led by RPF Inspector Varghese J, reviewed CCTV footage from Mangaluru Central to Tirur railway stations as part of the investigation.
A major breakthrough came when three suspects were identified from CCTV cameras at the Kozhikode railway station, officials said.
The RPF team then expanded the investigation to lodges in Kozhikode, from where the phone number of one of the suspects was obtained.
After tracking the suspects using their mobile phone numbers, they were intercepted at the Kozhikode railway station on Sunday, officials said.
During the search, the RPF recovered the stolen belongings of the passenger, along with five other mobile phones, pills, and food substances suspected to have been used to drug the victim.
Officials said the gang had allegedly been involved in similar incidents in the past, and cases have been registered against them.
The accused were later handed over to the Railway Police, who recorded their arrest, and they will be produced before a court on Monday, officials added.
The operation, named Rail Prahari, was supervised by RPF Deputy Security Commissioner Naveen Prashanth.
RPF and Railway Police officials involved in the operation are Sanal Kumar, Shiju K M, Ranjith K C, Mahesh C K, Ajeesh O K, Byju, E K Radhakrishnan, C Abbas, Midhun, and Jose.