PESHAWAR, Nov 8: Police on Saturday claimed to have arrested prime suspects involved in the highway robbery two weeks ago in which armed persons had killed two brothers and looted around Rs10 million.

Police alleged that a brother-in-law of the deceased Haji Gula Jan identified as Beltun and his accomplice Mohammad Tahir alias Moalim were the masterminds of the crime. Officials said that Rs2.3 million out of the total looted money was recovered from the accused persons.

The incident had taken place on Oct 25 on the jurisdiction of Khazana police station on Charssada Road. The two brothers -- Haji Gula Jan and Haji Asif Jan -- who were currency dealers, had came out of their residence and were on their way to their shop when unidentified persons intercepted their vehicle near Landae Road.

The armed persons had killed the two brothers and taken away three other persons accompanying them but later on released them.

Peshawar City Police Chief Dr Mohammad Suleman, and SSP Kashif Alam, told a media briefing that the two suspects had confessed to their involvement in the crime.

They stated that after the occurrence a high level investigation team was constituted, which kept close eye on some relatives of the deceased.

Mr Suleman said that initially the suspect Beltun, a resident of Hazrat Jan Colony who was also employed with the deceased, was taken into custody but he was giving conflicting statements about the occurrence. He added that when the accused was thoroughly interrogated he confessed to his crime.

Mr Kashif claimed that the suspect stated that he was employed with Haji Gula Jan and few days before the occurrence an altercation had taken place between them. He added that the suspect had also asked for some money from the deceased which was not given to him.

The SSP alleged that the accused Beltun then contacted Mohammad Tahir alias Moalim, an Afghan national. They planned the conspiracy and also hired some other anti-social elements.

The police officials claimed that they recovered Rs2.3 million which the accused had concealed by burying it near Nishat Flour Mills. They added that they had been raiding different places for arresting the other culprits involved in the robbery.