Kol gold loot: ‘Hired UP robber’ who fled to Dubai arrested
Times of India | 6 January 2026
Kolkata: In last year's Rs 3 crore gold heist at Sinthee in north Kolkata, the anti-robbery unit of the Lalbazar detective department arrested Abbas Raja, described by police as a ‘hired robber' from Uttar Pradesh (UP), after he returned from Dubai.
He was detained at Lucknow airport on Friday after immigration officials alerted Kolkata Police. Lalbazar detectives took him into custody around 1 am on Saturday. He was brought to Kolkata on Sunday.
Investigators said Abbas allegedly used proceeds from the Kolkata robbery to travel to Dubai, where he worked for about one-and-a-half months at a gold shop under the assumed name ‘Subodh.'
Police said he decided to return to UP after his tourist visa expired. The robbery took place on Oct 30, when miscreants stopped a scooter in front of a gold jewellery workshop in Sinthee, brandished a pistol, and fled with gold, police said. Police identified the alleged mastermind as Israel, who, along with Saidul and Masum, planned the heist. The trio is in judicial custody. Investigators said Israel brought in Abbas, an old associate. Abbas allegedly procured a pistol in UP and travelled to Kolkata. The gang allegedly divided the stolen gold in Hooghly, police said. Abbas then travelled from Hooghly to Burdwan by train, went on to Asansol, and later returned to UP, police said. Lalbazar detectives had recovered a portion of the stolen gold. Police raided Abbas's residence in the Akbarpur PS area of Ambedkar Nagar district in UP and learnt about his escape. A lookout notice was issued against Abbas.