Tambaram Police traced a van thief in Palayamkottai after analysing CCTV footage from over 300 places.
A load van belonging to Pradeepan of West Tambaram went missing from December 22 and another passenger van of Delhi Babu went missing from Nandambakkam from January 10. Both complaints were taken up for investigation by a special team of police personnel led by Tambaram Crime Inspector Mahesh Kumar.
Police scrutinised footage from CCTV devices installed from Tambaram to Chengalpattu. The vehicles did not cross any toll plaza. The person who drove the vehicles had carefully avoided toll plazas and evaded police radar. He detoured around rural roads and reached national highways. His image was clear when he was filling fuel at a petrol bunk on the national highway.
After analysing all CCTV footage, the special team zeroed in on the whereabouts of the accused in Rahamath Nagar, Palayamkottai. Police arrested the accused, Maria Joseph Xavier, 43 and remanded him in judicial custody. He is a habitual offender and two vehicles were recovered from him.