Throwing eggs on windshield & nails are part of the modus operandi.
Throwing eggs or even stones on the windshields of cars, throwing nails in the lanes, intercepting a vehicle on a lonely stretch or jumping on board a moving heavy vehicle when it slows down on the steep ascend in Bor Ghat section are some of tactics being used to rob passengers on the Mumbai-Pune expressway.
The robbers who targeted four members of a family travelling on the expressway on Thursday too tried the same time tested modus operandi of throwing nails on the expressway and deflating the car’s tyres. Four members of a family were going to Mumbai from Pune when the robbers targeted them and forced them to halt their car near Khalapur by puncturing the tyres of the vehicle. When the car driver stopped the car, the robbers beat up the family and took away valuables worth Rs1.23 lakh.
Recent robbery cases
Thursday’s robbery is not an isolated incident as far as robberies on the expressway are concerned. In November 2011, a truck driver was forced to stop near Lonavla and robbers had taken away Rs4,500 and a mobile from him. In a similar case in August 2011, another truck driver was stopped and robbed off Rs28,000. In April 2011, robbers punctured a car near Kon phata and took away a gold chain, a mobile and cash from the occupants.
Common modus operandi
According to officials of Delta Force, a security agency which looks after the security of the expressway, the robbers have been adopting various modus operandi to target the vehicles. In some areas, the robbers throw stones on the windshields of vehicles and force the drivers to stop the vehicles.
Another tactic, the robbers have adopted is throwing eggs on the windshield. The broken eggs on the windshield blind the driver and he stops his vehicle after which he is targeted.
According to Delta Force officials, the most common tactic is to throw nails or stones on the lanes so that the tyre of the vehicle gets punctured and the robbers attack the occupants of vehicles.
Another tactic is to target truck drivers is used tyres and tyre tubes are kept on the side of the lanes. The truck drivers, seeing the tyres and tubes, think that they can be used for their vehicles and they stop the trucks to pick the tyres. But they are suddenly attacked by the robbers.
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