BENGALURU: Kalasipalya police have arrested five inter-state robbers who were involved in 17 theft cases in the city and have recovered valuables worth `51 lakh.
The arrested are Murugesh (32), Shankar (29), Rajendra (40), Sumathi (45) and Latha (30), all residents of Vaniyambadi, Vellore district, Tamil Nadu. All the accused are of the same family.
According to the police, Murugesh, Shankar and Rajendra used to come to Bengaluru early in the morning and wander around posh areas, disguised as rag pickers. They would identify houses that have been locked for many days. They would finalise the houses by noticing the number of newspapers left unattended outside. The gang members would then return around 8pm or 9pm and break open the lock with rods. After robbing the house, they would immediately leave for Tamil Nadu the same night.
Sumathi and Latha would then approach pawn brokers in Tamil Nadu and sell the valuables at a lower cost.
A house theft case was registered in Kalasipalya police limits. Police investigating the case got crucial clues from CCTV cameras. When the photos of the accused were shared with other police stations, it came to light that the accused were previously arrested by Amruthahalli police. The modus operandi also matched.
A team went to Vaniyambadi and arrested the accused. Police have seized 1.70 kg of gold and valuables worth `51 lakh. A total of 17 cases pertaining to 10 police stations across the city have been solved.