The Coimbatore City Police have arrested a couple and their two women relatives in connection with multiple thefts reported in busy market places and buses in the city.
The arrested have been identified as Ravi (47) of Paramakudi, his wife Palaniammal (40), relatives Vanitha (37) and Nadiya (37). The police arrested them from a place near Maruthamalai a few days ago.
A special team headed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police was formed to nab the accused after they were found involved in more than 10 such cases in the city. The three women committed thefts while Ravi guided them and gave ideas, according to the police.
The police made a breakthrough in tracing them after one of the women in the group used the mobile phone of a Tiruppur native to make a call outside the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, after making a theft inside the hospital, some days ago.
The police managed to obtain the number, to which the call was made, after tracing and finding the Tiruppur native. Though the police tracked the number, the accused gave them a slip and travelled to Mettupalayam, Bengaluru and Chennai before returning to Coimbatore again a few days ago.
The police recovered around 50 sovereigns of jewellery stolen by the accused who lived a posh life and bought a house in Bengaluru. The accused also used to frequent tourism spots for leisure by taking a break from thefts, the police said. The four persons were produced before a court and were remanded in judicial custody.
