Pimpri-Chinchwad: In a significant breakthrough, the Wakad Police have apprehended a gang from Tamil Nadu involved in a series of morning house thefts targeting open doors in the Pimpri Chinchwad area. The arrested suspects, identified as Soundarajan Govindan, Gunasekar Sankar, and Tamilarasan Madesh, have confessed to their involvement in 23 crimes, revealing a pattern of stealing laptops and mobile phones in the city.
The surge in theft cases prompted the Wakad police to investigate the matter, utilising CCTV footage to trace the criminals. The breakthrough came when three suspects, fitting different descriptions, were observed taking a rickshaw from Kalewadi Phata to Pimpri after a theft in Wakad. The police formed four teams to track down the culprits.
The accused had a distinctive modus operandi, returning to commit crimes after a two-day interval. One suspect was apprehended in Kalewadi Phata, where three mobile phones and two laptops were recovered. The subsequent investigation revealed the suspect’s origins were originally from Tamil Nadu.
Further information indicated that the accomplices of the arrested individuals were residing in the Bhosari area. However, these accomplices managed to evade the police. A technical analysis of the suspect’s mobile phone suggested an attempt by the accused to escape to Bangalore in a travel bus. The police successfully intercepted the bus at Khambatki Ghat, detaining two additional suspects.
During interrogation, the three accused admitted to travelling from Tamil Nadu to Pimpri Chinchwad with the purpose of committing thefts. They disclosed a routine of roaming various parts of the city in the morning, breaking into open houses, and stealing mobile phones and laptops. The stolen items were then reportedly sold in Tamil Nadu.
The investigation team, following the leads provided by the accused, travelled to Tamil Nadu and seized a significant number of laptops and mobile phones. The total worth of the recovered items is estimated to be Rs. 14,30,000. The gang’s illicit activities have been linked to specific cases in Wakad, Nigdi-3, Chakan-2, Chinchwad-2, Chikhli-3, Bhosari, and MIDC Bhosari police stations.
