ONGOLE: Prakasam police on Wednesday arrested 12 electric transformer thieves and recovered 320 kgs of copper wire, two autorickshaws, one motorcycle from the accused. The 15-member gang was involved in 102 crimes, of which 92 were reported in Prakasam, 10 in SPSR Nellore districts. They broke 264 electricity transformers and stole the copper wires.
The members of the gang were identified as Nallabothula Pedda Vengaiah aka Vengaiah (58), Nallabothula Hussanamma (53), Pikkili Vengamma (50), Nallabothula Naga Raju (25), Nallabothula Venkateswarlu (23), Pikkili Venkateswarlu (28), Pikkili Chanti (24), Mandla Narayana aka Papaiah (18), Athiraju Lakshmi (60), Bhupani Ramu (40), Pikkili China Mallikharjuna (22), Pikkili Subba Rayudu (19), Mandla Narayana (20), Mandla Venkateswarlu aka Aggi (32) and Mandla Srinu (25).
Of them N Hussanamma (53), P Vengamma (50) and A Lakshmi (60) are missing.The accused formed into three groups. Each group used to visit different areas to conduct recce of transformers in various localities. In night, the groups will target transformers in secluded places and remove copper wires from inside the transformers.