CHENNAI: Alert members of the public helped the police catch two burglars as they broke into a hardware store and were about to escape with `14,000 in cash.
Police said the two, who were in the habitual offenders’ list, had broken into the shop on Perumbakkam Main Road in suburban Pallikaranai on Tuesday night. A few locals noticed this and alerted the police.
“A patrol team was alerted and was sent to the spot. The police found the locks of the shutter broken. When they opened it, they found two men inside the store, busy bundling the loot,” said a police officer.
When the police apprehended the burglars, they had opened the cash box in the shop and pocketed nearly `14,000, the police said.
The two were taken to the Pallikaranai police station and enquiries revealed they were residents of Chetpet.
The police identified them as Karthick (25) and Kamalakannan (45).
House Burgled
Burglars broke into a house in Ullagaram and stole 15 sovereigns of gold and `80,000 cash on Tuesday when the residents were visiting a church. The police said the residents had locked the house and returned around 1 am to find the locks of the door broken.