Kochi: A man accused of carrying out a dramatic highway robbery in Uttar Pradesh, likened by the police to scenes from an action film, was arrested in Kochi on Friday following a coordinated operation by the Uttar Pradesh Police and Ernakulam Central police.

The accused, identified as Rizakath, a native of Uttar Pradesh, was apprehended from a lodge on Chittoor Road in Ernakulam, where he had been hiding after fleeing the state, police said.

The robbery took place on December 15 at Hapur along the Delhi-Lucknow National Highway. According to police, Rizakath was part of a gang that looted ₹85 lakh from an accountant employed by a Noida-based businessman. The accountant was transporting the cash when the gang struck.

The police said the assailants arrived in a car and on a motorcycle and executed the robbery while the victim’s vehicle was still in motion. CCTV footage later released by the police showed the accused snatching the bag of cash, causing the accountant’s scooter to overturn on the busy highway.

“Following the incident, Uttar Pradesh Police circulated CCTV visuals of the suspects and announced a reward of ₹50,000 for information leading to their arrest. During the course of the investigation, Rizakath’s mobile phone location led officers to Kochi. Acting on this input, the Uttar Pradesh Police contacted the Ernakulam Central Police. Thus, we assisted in tracing and arresting the suspect,” police said.

Rizakath will be produced before a court in Kochi to get the transit warrant and subsequently handed over to the Uttar Pradesh Police for further investigation. Officials said his custodial interrogation is expected to yield crucial leads on the remaining members of the gang involved in the high-value highway heist.