Mumbai attackers
stole credit cards, money: police
NEW DELHI, Mon Dec 15, 2008
(Reuters)
The militants who attacked India's financial center
last month, killing 179 people, also stole credit cards, money and
mobile telephones from their victims, Mumbai's top police officer
said on Monday.
The stolen goods and currency included thousands of rupees and
dollars found on the bodies of the nine gunmen killed by police
during the three-day siege in Mumbai. A 10th gunmen survived and
was captured by police.
"We have no idea what they were planning to do with the money
and cards, but it just speaks a lot more about their evil nature
and the fact that criminals love stealing money and cards,"
Mumbai Police Commissioner Hasan Gafoor told Reuters.
The attack has soured relations between uneasy nuclear-armed neighbors
India and Pakistan.
India has blamed the banned Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba
for the attacks and called on Islamabad to do more to stamp out
groups that operate from its soil.
The gunmen took scores of guests hostage and battled commandos
inside two luxury Mumbai hotels.
"They took quite a few credit cards and a lot of money,"
Gafoor said by telephone.
"Since they are all dead, we can only presume that they liked
the more colorful (credit cards) and took them," he said.
The 10th gunman, identified as Pakistani Mohammed Ajmal Kasab,
told police he had lived a life of petty crime before coming in
contact with Lashkar-e-Taiba in the city of Rawalpindi, according
to media reports of his statement to police.
Kasab was captured before reaching either of the hotels.
The gunmen also took mobile phones from hostages. Some of them
then used the phones to call an Indian television channel and to
speak with their bosses in Pakistan, police said.
Security experts said the gunmen had criminal backgrounds.
"They all belong to ordinary families and they were out of
there early to make quick money until they got indoctrinated into
jihadi activities," said security expert Major General Ashok
Mehta.
The gunmen also set off bombs inside the two hotels, causing significant
damage.
The 105-year-old Taj Mahal hotel will reopen this week, its owner
has said. The hotel has set up a welfare trust for victims.
|