Wayanad police have arrested two men who allegedly abducted and robbed people coming out of liquor outlets, forcing them into a car at knifepoint.

The arrested are Muhammed Basheer, 45, of Tharuvana, and Saidulla, 36, of Peechamkode near Mananthavady. The Special Action Group Against Organised Crimes (SGOAC) of the Wayanad Police arrested the duo from a hideout in Chamarajanagar, Karnataka, on Thursday night.

The two allegedly fled to Karnataka after committing two robberies in Wayanad—one in Padinjarathara and another within the Panamaram police station limits. The Panamaram police had earlier issued a lookout notice for them.

Basheer has around eight criminal cases registered against him, including cases under the NDPS and Abkari Acts, at Mananthavady, Vythiri, Vellamunda and Kalpetta police stations. Saidulla is also an accused in several cases within the Kalpetta station limits, police said.

The first incident occurred on August 31 near the Nayanmoola beverage outlet in Padinjarathara. The duo allegedly befriended a lottery seller, Bijoy, after buying tickets from him. They then asked him to approach their car, claiming they would give him the money from inside.

Bijoy was allegedly pulled into the vehicle, assaulted and robbed of his remaining lottery tickets and cash. His shirt was torn before he was thrown out of the moving car, police said.

Later that day, the duo allegedly abducted another man at Nadavayal as he was returning from a beverage outlet. They reportedly forced him into the car, took his money and the liquor bottle he had purchased, and abandoned him.

That night, the two allegedly attempted to abduct another man near the Kalpetta beverage outlet. An altercation followed, prompting police intervention. Police took the duo to the station and later released them.

The investigation began after the two victims filed complaints at the Panamaram and Padinjarathara police stations on September 1.

Wayanad District Police Chief S Devamanohar and Mananthavady Assistant Superintendent of Police Karthik monitored the operation. Sub-Inspector Biju Varghese led the arrest team, which included Shalu Francis, K K Vipin, Sreejesh, and Abdul Vajid.