Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa Crime Branch investigation into the 2025 Dona Paula and Mapusa dacoity cases has uncovered a chilling modus operandi allegedly adopted by a Bangladesh-based gang that carried out detailed surveillance of residential areas before striking.
Police revealed that the accused would stay in secluded jungle patches and isolated areas near targeted localities for up to two days, carefully observing residents’ sleeping habits, family movement patterns and possible entry points into homes before committing the crimes.
According to investigators, the gang deliberately avoided the use of mobile phones and electronic communication to prevent police from tracing them through technical surveillance. Instead, members operated in small groups of two to three persons and used pre-decided meeting points such as railway stations, bus stands and beach areas to coordinate movements.
The revelations emerged during the preliminary interrogation of five Bangladeshi nationals arrested by the Goa Crime Branch after they were apprehended by the Delhi Crime Branch earlier this month. The accused are linked to two major dacoity cases reported in Dona Paula on April 20, 2025, and Ganeshpuri-Mapusa on October 7, 2025.
Police said the gang allegedly entered India through the Meghalaya border and travelled across states before reaching Goa. One of the accused, Noor Islam alias Nadim Khan, had earlier been lodged in Colvale jail and allegedly used his familiarity with Goa to help the gang identify affluent residential targets.
Investigators said the accused carried rods and knives purchased from local markets and used them to threaten residents during the robberies. After unlawfully entering bungalows, the gang allegedly assessed the internal layout, identified accessible rooms and tied up family members before fleeing with gold ornaments and valuables.
The five accused were brought to Goa on transfer warrants by a Crime Branch team led by PI Dattaguru Sawant and PI Kishore Ramanan after their arrest by Delhi Police. They were produced before JMFC Panaji and remanded to 11 days of police custody.
Goa Police said further interrogation is underway to recover stolen property, establish the source of weapons and identify any additional local links that may have aided the gang.
