Laptops are his passion. However, he is no software whizkid but an ace robber who has stolen over 300 laptops over the past year from residential areas on the IT corridor and in Adyar. A Semmenchery police team, on Tuesday evening, intercepted a youth who had robbed a man of his laptop on Rajiv Gandhi Salai in Sholinganallur at knifepoint and attempted to flee. The suspected was identified as Balaji (25), a resident of Burma Nagar, Ernavoor.
“On interrogation, we came to know that he had entered many houses, mainly of bachelors, in the guise of an electrician and fled with laptops and valuables placed near the computer. The police was flooded with complaints of laptop thefts in the last 12 months and were on the lookout for the suspect who had stuck in all the places,” said N. Karnan, Inspector of Police, Semmenchery.
Balaji had stolen more than 300 laptops and sold it to some dealers in Richie Street and Burma Bazaar. A search has been launched for Balaji’s accomplices who are spread around the State. “We suspect the existence of a larger network of gadget thieves,” Mr. Karnan added.
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Five laptops, two sovereigns of gold, a motorcycle and a knife were recovered from Balaji, who was remanded in custody and sent to Puzhal prison on Wednesday.
This article has been corrected for typographical errors.