Littering lands this band of robbers in 'pepper' soup

ON December 27, 2024, a man riding a scooter in Kalady was attacked with pepper spray and robbed of ₹20 lakh at knifepoint by two motorcycle-borne individuals.

- TOBY ANTONY

The whole operation was carried out after extensive planning and surveillance which stretched over three months.

Yet, despite all their preparedness, the robbers were nabbed, along with eight others who assisted them in only two weeks. What helped the police, you ask? A can discarded on the roadside.

The incident On the day, Davis, who works as a manager of a grocery wholesale firm, was travelling on his scooter to hand over the money to the business owner when he was intercepted by two motorcycle-borne individuals.

Davis had with him two bags containing a total of ₹32 lakh. The strangers first used pepper spray on his face and reached for the bag. When Davis resisted, they brandished a knife and stabbed him before grabbing the bags. However, in their haste to flee, one of the bags fell down and was promptly recovered by another company employee following Davis, and the police were informed.

"As soon as we learned about the incident, we rushed to the spot. On arriving there and examining the crime scene, it was evident that it was a well-planned robbery, likely done with the assistance of an insider. However, the most crucial evidence recovered from the place was the pepper spray can," says an officer who was part of the investigation.