Bhubaneswar: The Commissionerate Police Thursday claimed to have busted a nine-member gang of interstate burglars and recovered 1.5 kg silver and gold ornaments, eight mobile phones and four motorcycles from them. The accused, all from Ganjam district, were involved in numerous theft cases in Chhattisgarh, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Surat and Andhra Pradesh, apart from various places here and elsewhere in the state, police said. Twin-city Police Commissioner Sanjeeb Panda said a special team, consisting of three sleuths, was tracking down the movement of the notorious gang before finally managing to round them up, Thursday. He said seven more members of the gang, who are on run, will be nabbed soon. Panda said the kingpin of the gang, Girish Naik, would recce isolated apartments having inadequate security measures, like single-door locks, scant security guards and low boundary walls, during the day. After dark, the gang members would strike those flats and loot gold ornaments and cash kept in those. The miscreants are involved in more than eight burglary cases, including the four apartment thefts in Spacetown Apartment under Mancheswar Police limits, said Panda. Police sources said Girish Naik had been booked in more than 40 cases under Ganjam Police limits in the past. The arrested have been booked under Section 457 and 380 of IPC, and were produced before a local court for remand.
DEBADURLLAV HARICHANDAN, OP