CCTV footage of a chain-snatching incident led to the arrest of a gang of five that is suspected to be responsible for 30 cases of theft in the city in the past three months.
Police said the accused are a part of an infamous gang from Uttar Pradesh that has, over the years, developed a modus operandi which made them difficult to trace.
Police found 678 grams of gold worth ₹20 lakh from Jaya Prakash, 22, Nitin Kumar, 21, Jitendra, 22, Kapil Kumar, 25, and Nanda Kishore, 33. Two others are absconding.
The gang had rented a house in Subramanyapura posing as construction labourers. “They stole a motorbike. They would prowl the streets between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. targeting women and senior citizens who would be on a morning walk,” said Inspector Ajai R.M., Mico Layout Police Station.
After a few days, the gang would return to their villages, even taking flights with their new-found wealth, where they would sell the stolen gold and divide the loot. Once they run out of money, they would resume their criminal activities in various cities.
“The gang would shift locations frequently to avoid being caught. No one in their gang would use their mobile phone when they would commit crimes,” said Mr. Ajai. If anyone was caught, he would not reveal anything about the other members while the gang would consider him a ‘retired’ even if came out on bail, said the police.
As the gang’s notoriety spread, Home Minister R. Ramalinga Reddy was prompted to direct police to intensify patrolling.
The Mico Layout police got a break when one of their crimes was captured on a CCTV camera. The police analysed the physical appearance of the criminals and studied the pattern of their operation. They zeroed in on the gang just as they were about to leave the city.
Police Commissioner T. Suneel Kumar announced a ₹2 lakh reward for the team that nabbed the gang.
