RAWALPINDI, June 24: The mastermind of the Rs16 million Dubai Islamic Bank branch robbery and one of his accomplices were arrested by the Motorway police at Rushkai Interchange near Swabi on Friday.

The mastermind of the robbery security guard Abul Hassan and one of his accomplices Mohammad Ramzan were traveling on motorway on the car (LD-108) which was used by the robbers to flee after committing the robbery at the Dubai Islamic Bank branch, Rehamanabad on Thursday. As the Rawalpindi police had already communicated the car's registration number to the motorway police, they intercepted it at the Rushkai Interchange and arrested both of the culprits. However, the looted money was yet to be recovered from the robbers.

The two men were desperately wanted by the Rawalpindi district police as Rs16 million was the largest amount of cash ever taken in one of the two bank heists in the city in recent times. The other robbery was occurred in Bank Alfalah I-11/4 branch in Islamabad Police sources confirmed, though the senior officials were hesitant to confirm, that two of the robbers had been captured by the motorway police.

During search, the police also recovered two pistols, a dagger and a large quantity of bullets from the car.

As per details, Dubai Islamic Bank Rehmanabad branch was looted by a gang of six robbers–one of them was a private security guard Abul Hassan who was performing duty at the bank branch.

He along with his five accomplices came to the bank to relieve the guards who were deployed there for the night shift. Besides the mastermind, two other culprits were also wearing the private security guard's uniform.

They entered into the bank and started holding the bank staff hostage on gunpoint one-by-one on their arrival for duty. They all were detained in the vault and were threatened to be killed if anybody tried to offer resistance.

Later, the robbers escaped with the loot in a car bearing registration no LD-108 as was noted while the robbers were on the run after the incident. Later, it was communicated to all the concerned including the motorway police which succeeded in spotting it during the culprits' journey on the motorway and arresting the most wanted culprit.

It is expected that the alleged robbers would be shifted to Rawalpindi soon and the preliminary interrogation would help the police to nab the other robbers and recover the booty, sources said.