After a brief lull due to the COVID-19, the city has witnessed a series of burglaries in various areas keeping the crime wing police on their toes, as the property lost in a few cases was huge. Special teams, formed by the city police, have launched a manhunt for the accused.
On June 7, unidentified miscreants reportedly made good with about eight tolas of gold ornaments, apart from other valuables from a locked house at Balayya Sastry Layout. On June 8, the city police received a jolt after a series of house break-ins were reported.
In the first case, 26 tolas of gold ornaments and valuables were looted from a house at Jagannadhapuram in Akkayyapalem.
In the second case, the miscreants made good with about 15 tolas of gold ornaments and other valuables from a house at Venkateswara Nagar at Maharanipeta.
Similarly, about 10 tolas gold ornaments and cash were stolen from a house at Kasturi Nagar, Kailasapuram, the same day. The PM Palem police received a complaint from a resident that about 30 tolas of gold ornaments were missing from his house.
According to police officials, in most of the offences reported since May, the burglars have been targeting locked houses, when inmates go to other places or when the inmates slept by keeping open the doors or slept on their terrace.
‘Local gangs’
Police said that due to the COVID-19 restrictions, movement of inter-State gangs was not suspected and these crimes might have been committed by local gangs. “Teams were formed to crack the cases and investigation is on,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police (CCS) Sravan Kumar.
The crime wing police advise citizens to inform them if at all they had to leave their house for any purpose including COVID-19 situation, so that their house can be monitored.
The police also appealed to the people to install CCTVs through Locked House Monitoring System (LHMS) by placing a request.
A 67-year-old woman of Madhuranagar, who returned home last month, after undergoing treatment at a hospital for COVID-19, found about 16 tolas of gold ornaments and other valuables missing.
“Citizens going out after locking their house can install LHMS and appeal for CCTV installation for monitoring. If people find anyone suspicious, they can inform the control room or police station,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crimes) V. Suresh Babu.
