Itanagar Police has solved the ₹13 lakh daylight robbery at a business establishment in Gandhi Market with the arrest of all three accused after an intensive investigation that lasted nearly three weeks.Addressing a press conference, Itanagar Superintendent of Police Jummar Basar said the robbery took place on June 22 at around 11.19 am at Neelam Traders. According to the police, two men entered the shop pretending to seek assistance and asked to view CCTV footage relating to some allegedly lost items. Once inside, one of them pulled out a knife hidden inside a file cover, threatened the cashier and looted around ₹13 lakh in cash. A third accomplice remained outside the shop to keep watch while the robbery was carried out. The entire incident was captured on the shop’s CCTV cameras.The SP said the investigation was challenging as the accused had carefully planned the crime. They frequently changed clothes, avoided routes covered by surveillance cameras and took steps to conceal their movements. The probe was further complicated by several non-functional Smart City CCTV cameras along the suspected escape routes.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted under the supervision of the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Itanagar, and the Officer-in-Charge of Itanagar Police Station. The team comprised SI Samuel Ngupok, ASI Marli Kamgo, Constables Punyo Tamar, Jumli Zirdo, Shankar Nampe, Tago Ligu, Mejir Pale, Sandeep Yadav and Chukey Digle.During the investigation, police examined more than 500 hours of CCTV footage collected from private establishments and other locations. The probe also relied on technical analysis, mobile phone tracking, intelligence inputs, witness statements and extensive field verification to identify and trace the suspects.The accused were identified as Prem Rebe, Gungung Tagang and Yubi Kamchi. Police said Prem Rebe and Gungung Tagang entered the shop and carried out the robbery, while Yubi Kamchi acted as a lookout outside the premises. Following the crime, the three fled towards Seppa and kept shifting between different locations in East Kameng district, Assam and other parts of Arunachal Pradesh to avoid arrest. Acting on intelligence inputs and continuous surveillance, police arrested Gungung Tagang and Yubi Kamchi in Seppa with the assistance of Seppa Police Station. The main accused, Prem Rebe, who had been moving between resorts and temporary accommodations while allegedly spending the stolen money, was also arrested in Seppa after nearly three weeks of sustained tracking with the support of East Kameng Police.
The investigation revealed that a substantial portion of the stolen cash had been used to purchase a four-wheeler, two motorcycles, mobile phones and other valuable items. Police said several of these assets have been traced and recovered, while money lying in one of the accused’s bank accounts has also been frozen as part of the investigation.Capital Police acknowledged the assistance provided by East Kameng Police, particularly the Officer-in-Charge of Seppa Police Station and Constable Shankar Taniang, along with Constable Sanu Raj of Naharlagun Police Station, for their support in successfully completing the operation. Police said the case was solved through sustained field investigation, technical analysis and close coordination between police units despite limited CCTV coverage and the deliberate efforts of the accused to avoid detection.
