Wayanad: In a wee-hour combing operation on Thursday, the Sulthan Bathery police arrested three notorious criminals from Gundulpet, Karnataka.
The arrest was in connection with a theft of 10 sovereigns of gold from Kuthiredath Cholayil K C Pokkar from Kuppadi on June 4 under the Sulthan Bathery police station limits.
Kannambara Subair Manzil Sulaiman alias Shajahan (60) of Alathoor, Palakkad and Thachampoyil Muhammed Nissar from Thamarassery, Kozhikode were among the arrested. Seasoned criminal Panakkal Chandran wanted in many cases in the state was also nabbed.
Chandran, a notorious face known to investigators of many complex robbery cases, has almost 300 cases to his credit spread over the three states of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. According to the police, at present, there are around 30 cases under investigation in which Chandran is involved.
An investigation team from Chalakudy police station was on Chandran's trail and took him into custody from Sulthan Bathery police on Thursday.
Nissar is wanted in more than 20 cases in Kerala as well as in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the police said.
Police also seized a car and a motorcycle both lifted by the duo from Erode, Tamil Nadu, with altered number plates of Karnataka registration - for the criminals, changing the registration of vehicles is as easy as just replacing the number plates without following any of the MVD (Motor Vehicle Department) procedures, police said.
The arrest of Chandran was an added bonus for the police as he happened to be in the hideout where the other two were camped when the police team barged into the den.
The police team was headed by Sulthan Bathery Inspector M A Santhosh and Sub Inspector KV Sasikumar.
