A Bangladesh-linked gang allegedly behind two high-profile Goa dacoities last year — and wanted in multiple cases across states — is said to have used a “strike-and-vanish” playbook: entering India to commit crimes before quickly slipping back across the border to evade police.
Six accused — Suman Hauldhar (35), Saifful Islam (31), Sohail Sheikh (35), Md Nasir (48), Noor Islam (56) and Zakir Haldar (40), all from Bangladesh — were arrested by the Delhi Police Crime Branch on the intervening night of April 14–15 after an exchange of fire. Five were brought to Goa on transfer warrants and produced before a judicial magistrate first class in Panaji on Thursday, which remanded them to 11 days’ police custody.
In October 2025, six-armed alleged robbers broke into a doctor’s home in North Goa’s Mapusa, tied up occupants for over two hours and fled with jewellery, cash and a car. In a similar incident in April last year, armed robbers allegedly targeted an elderly couple from a business family in Dona Paula, decamping with gold and cash after tying them up. During the probe, Goa Police teams conducted raids across Belgaum, Bijapur, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati, Tripura and Meghalaya. The suspects were identified and their details shared with police forces in other states.
One accused, Noor Islam, was earlier lodged in Goa’s Colvale jail and is alleged to have facilitated the gang’s entry into Goa. Police said he met a man identified as Mahmood there between 2023 and ߨ Mahmood, from Uttar Pradesh, allegedly provided logistical support for the Dona Paula dacoity. Another accused, Saifful Islam, was allegedly sheltered by Raju B and Safikul. Noor Islam, Saifful Islam and Mahmood have been arrested.
‘Hit, run, hide’: How they pulled it off
Goa Police said their interrogation suggests the group crossed into India via the Meghalaya border. Rahul Gupta, SP (Crime Branch), said some members allegedly conducted reconnaissance in residential areas, camping in nearby secluded patches for a day or two to study routines, sleeping patterns and entry points.
“They would split into smaller groups to avoid attention, regrouping at pre-decided points like bus stands, railway stations and beaches, and avoiding technical communication to reduce detection,” he said.
Police alleged the group used rods and knives to threaten victims and counter resistance. “After entering bungalows, they assessed layouts, identified locked and unlocked rooms and selectively targeted accessible areas. Family members were assaulted, tied up, and the accused then fled with gold and other valuables,” Gupta said.
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In an April 15 statement, Delhi Police alleged the gang infiltrated India through clandestine networks, paying large sums. Operating masked and armed, they allegedly followed a ‘hit-run-hide’ pattern — targeting isolated, affluent elderly residents, committing dacoities and, in some cases, brutally assaulting those who resisted before escaping across the border.
Police further alleged the group relied on a covert network of relatives in India to identify homes with significant gold and cash, planned armed break-ins, and then quickly retreated toward the border. “Their local network also allegedly supplied arms and logistics. They paid human smugglers to facilitate return to Bangladesh and avoided mobile phones to stay off the grid,” the statement said.
Authorities said the gang is allegedly linked to cases of robbery, murder and dacoity registered across Goa, Karnataka, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.
