Mangaluru highway robbery suspects arrested, hunt continues

Police in Mangaluru, Karnataka, arrested three men – Nimil RK, Irshad and Mustafa – for their roles in a highway dacoity that took place on June 29 near Baikampady on National Highway‑66. The gang, using two Toyota Innova vehicles and a Swift, ambushed a family from Maharashtra travelling to Kerala, threatening them with machetes, assaulting the driver and abducting his wife and son before releasing them a few kilometres away. The thieves stole the victim’s Maruti Swift Dzire, about 180 grams of gold jewellery valued at roughly Rs 20 lakh, two mobile phones and other valuables, estimated at a total loss of Rs 23.1 lakh. Investigators recovered the stolen car and have seized one of the Innova vehicles. While three accomplices are now in police custody, authorities are still searching for the remaining 13 suspects, additional vehicles, the gold ornaments and the phones.