Amaravati:
Andhra Pradesh Police has busted an interstate gang which was involved in two sensational highway robbery cases on the Hyderabad-Bengaluru National Highway (NH-44).
The Sri Sathya Sai District Police has arrested 10 members of an organised interstate gang involved in kidnapping, robbery and cash looting worth Rs 5.8 crore.
Police further found that the accused travelled from Kerala through Tamil Nadu and Karnataka before carrying out the crimes and stayed in lodges in Dharmapuri for reconnaissance and planning.
According to police, the gang targeted cash-carrying vehicles moving along the NH-44 corridor connecting Hyderabad and Bengaluru, executing meticulously planned attacks in the limits of KIA Police Station and Kanaganapalli Police Station in Sri Sathya Sai district.
The first case was reported on December 3, 2025, when unidentified assailants intercepted a moving vehicle on NH-44, smashed its windows, abducted two occupants and robbed Rs 2.8 crore before abandoning the victims at separate locations.
In the second incident, eight masked men intercepted another vehicle on February 21, overpowered the occupants and fled with Rs 3 crore cash after kidnapping the victims temporarily.
Police said to avoid detection and arrest, the gang used multiple vehicles fitted with counterfeit registration plates and used cash payments at toll plazas to avoid FASTag detection. Post the incident on the busy highway which connects two important cities, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, and is used by travellers extensively, the distinct police formed special teams and examined CCTV footage covering more than 200 kilometres of NH-44, including toll plazas between Kurnool district, Bengaluru and Salem in Tamil Nadu.
Technical analysis of CDRs, IPDRs and IMEI data revealed that the gang used fake SIM cards procured from Kerala and communicated through VOIP services using Moto G35 mobile phones to evade surveillance.
“A total of 10 special teams worked tirelessly under the supervision of the Superintendent of Police, Sri Sathya Sai District. Their coordinated technical and field investigation led to the successful breakthrough in this major interstate dacoity case,” District SP Satish Kumar.
The gang is believed to consist of 21 accused operating across Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Investigators said the mastermind allegedly coordinated operations from Nepal using international VOIP communication networks.
Among those arrested is alleged mastermind Syril Mathew, who police said is involved in nearly 15 criminal cases. Other accused include KA Shiyahabuddin, Karipal Asif Ahmed and Sharath PC.
Seven key accused were arrested on May 5 near Aghora Ashramam on the Bengaluru-Gorantla highway. Police recovered Rs 1.26 crore in cash, a Toyota Innova, a Mahindra XUV500, a BMW car bearing registration number MP 09 WK 6986, 13 mobile phones, counterfeit number plates, knives, pepper spray bottles and face masks.
The remaining 11 accused are absconding, and efforts are underway to trace and arrest them, officials added.