The Cyberabad police on Saturday arrested two persons from Madhya Pradesh, who hired minors to commit thefts at function halls, and recovered stolen gold and silver ornaments worth Rs. 20 lakh from them.
Five boys and a girl — all below the age of 13 years — hired by the accused, Ravi, 30, and Gajender, 26, were also arrested, the Cyberabad Police Commissioner Ch. Dwaraka Thirumala Rao said at a press conference.
Produced in court
The six minors were produced before a juvenile court.
The accused duo and the minors hailed from Kadiya village of Rajgarh district in Madhya Pradesh.
The duo used to send the minors to marriage halls to look out for individuals carrying handbags or luggage.
Normally, a boy and a girl would go to the function hall, steal the bags when others are busy and flee.
Ravi and Gajender would collect the stolen bags, sell the jewellery or valuables and make money. The accused would give money ranging from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 50,000 a year to the parents of each child they had hired.
Bonus
“Sometimes they used to give five per cent of the value of stolen property as bonus to the children ,” the police said.
Seven thefts
The gang committed seven thefts in the past two months at APR Garden-Champapet, Vanga Shankaramma Garden-Meerpet, Kalyan Gardens-Bollarum crossroads in Miyapur, Sri Bhramarambha Mallikarjuna Swamy Gardens-KPHB Colony, Kothakapu Yadavareddy Garden-Karmanghat, Prime Meridian function hall-Tolichowki and Khaja Mansion function hall-Masab Tank.
