18kg gold worth Rs 5cr looted in Junagadh

Five robbers looted 18kg gold and jewellery worth more than Rs 5 crore from the employees of jewellers Choksi Vachhraj Makanji Co Ltd (CVM) near Vadal area of Junagadh district on Saturday.

The incident took place around 2 pm, when driver Gautam and CVM employee Milan were on their to Junagadh in the latter's car, according to police. Primary investigation revealed that Milan's car was stopped by robbers who came in a Maruti Swift car near Vadal area.

Five robbers got out of the car and threatened the two by brandishing a knife at them. They then asked them to hand over the bag containing the valuables.

After taking the bag, the five sped away. The employees were bringing the bag from CVM's Ahmedabad store, police said.

A complaint has been lodged with the Junagadh Taluka police who have started the investigation.

PS Lakkad, sub-inspector of Junagadh Taluka police station, said, "We are recording the statements of the driver and the other employee. It is not still clear why they were bringing the gold to Junagadh from Ahmedabad. We have blocked the borders of the district and have alerted the local police to check all vehicles. We are trying to recover CCTV footage from nearby areas to identify the car and the suspects. A detailed inquiry will be carried out."