Shafiya Begum would bring young job aspirants from Uttar Pradesh to Bengaluru and use them to rob cab and auto... Read More

BENGALURU: A 34-year-old woman and her seven associates, who robbed people after promising to get them Saudi riyals for a cheaper price, were arrested on Monday.

Shafiya Begum alias Madam, 34, from New Delhi, brought Uttar Pradesh residents Mohammed Shakeel, 19, Raheem Khureshi, 24, Mohammed Dilwar Hussain, 39, Mohammed Shanawaz, 30, Mohammed Ibrahim, 30, Raheem Sheikh, 56 and Anwar Hussain, 24, to Bengaluru and got them houses on rent at Parappana Agrahara.

According to police sources, Shafiya commuted in autorickshaws and cabs and befriended drivers by talking to them. She’d tell them that she worked in a Gulf businessman’s Bengaluru residence and that her employer had given her Rs 5 lakh worth Saudi riyals. Shafiya would tell the drivers that she was not wellversed with foreign exchange transactions and was ready to give away Rs 5 lakh worth Saudi riyals for only Rs 3 lakh, police said.

Some cab drivers trusted her and fell into the trap. Shafiya would ask them to bring the cash to deserted places. When the cabbies would land at the spot, Shafiya’s men would attack them and flee with the booty. According to police sources, Shafiya divorced her husband and came to Bengaluru in 2010 with an intention to make a quick buck.

She brought well-built and young job aspirants from UP to Bengaluru and provided them shelter on the city’s outskirts. Some of the men worked as labourers. They addressed Shafiya as ‘Madam’ and in return for her ‘generous’ help, carried out her orders, the sources said.

Whenever the gang members were arrested, Shafiya would get a new set of people. She also divided the loot money equally, but held back some amount under the head, ‘insurance’, which she would use for legal expenses when the men would get caught.

Sources said Shafiya was involved in robberies in Bengaluru since 2011 and six cases were registered in two police stations. She was arrested once earlier and released on bail. As she didn’t attend court hearings and continued with her criminal activities, non-bailable and proclamation warrants were issued against her.

