By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Mar. 5: The Metropolitan Crime Division has arrested eight individuals who robbed a shop a week ago by identifying themselves as police officers.
According to the division, the incident took place at around 7:30 pm on February 24 at Samriddha Pharmacy in Nayabazaar, Kathmandu.

The group, which claimed to be police, had entered the pharmacy citing a probe as they received a tipoff that the shop was selling illegal drugs.
Rajendra Sanki, owner of the pharmacy, was then taken under custody by the group inside the shop as they started stealing.

Issuing a statement on Friday to make the arrests public, the division informed that the group had robbed a total of Rs. 65,000 from Sanki including his Samsung S20+ phone and a watch.
Over Rs. 15,000 was robbed at gunpoint by the group online through Sanki’s e-banking services.

“The pharmacy owner also transferred a total of Rs. 11,700 to an eSewa account from two of his bank accounts. Similarly, Rs. 3,500 from his account in a cooperative was also stolen alongside the cash from the counter,” said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Basanta Bahadur Kunwar.

Sanki had reached the police after the robbers fled following which the Metropolitan Crime Division had started searching for them.
“The eight individuals were arrested on different dates from various parts of Kathmandu,” said SSP Kunwar, also the division’s chief.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Debi Prasad Dhital, 26; Shankar Regmi, 30; Hikmat Mahata, 28; Subash Ratoki, 27; Milan Bohora, 34; Bhabindra Begha, 32; Yogendra Bahadur Chand, 27; and Kamal Sunar, 21. They all hailed from diverse districts across the country and lived in different places of Kathmandu.

The division informed that they seized the stolen items including 11 mobile sets, a watch, five ATM cards and two cheques from the individuals.
“Further investigation and legal processes are underway,” SSP Kunwar said.