Nashik | Several persons hailing from Kerala allegedly involved in highway robberies in different states have been arrested by Nashik rural police in Maharashtra, an official said on Friday.

On December 11, a resident of Gujarat was robbed of Rs 4.5 lakh when he and some friends were travelling on the Mumbai-Agra highway in an SUV in Wadiwarhe police station limits, following which a case was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provisions, he said.

"The probe into the case zeroed in on two persons hailing from Ernakulam and Thrissur in Kerala. Based on their questioning, a team from Sinnar police station and Crime Branch detained 10 persons, also hailing from the southern state. On February 17, these persons were spotted on the Nashik-Pune highway and were planning to commit robberies on the stretch," he said.

Three vehicles as well as sword, sickle, knife, hammers, screwdrivers and chilli powder along with mobile phones and credit cards, all cumulatively worth Rs 19.55 lakh, were seized from them, the official said.

"They were placed under arrest by Sinnar police. A probe is underway to find out if these persons have committed similar robberies in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh as well," the official added.