Using latest information technology tools, the Prakasam police have achieved a breakthrough in a series of property offences and nabbed a five-member gang of thieves hailing from Karnataka.
The police recovered gold ornaments worth ₹12.50 lakh from them, Superintendent of Police Malika Garg told the media here on Saturday.
Police were initially clueless, as the offenders had left no evidences at the two houses they had struck in Ongole II Town police station limits. Persistent probe by a police team led by Ongole Deputy Superintendent of Police U. Nagaraju, led to obtaining crucial leads in a series of house break-in cases by night with the help of IT core team, which analysed call data records and scanned CCTV footage at the railway station.
A team led by Ongole II Town Circle Inspector Raghavendra nabbed the offenders near the railway station here late on late on Friday. All the accused were from Nagarkatte village, near Davanagere, in Karnataka.
Explaining the modus operandi of the gang, Ms. Garg said the accused checked into a hotel close to the railway station and conducted recce during day time on the pretext of doing polishing work for motorcycles. They had struck at two houses in the city and decamped with valuables by train to another place. During investigation, police found that the offenders were also involved in a property offence in Eluru district. Police unravelled their involvement in a case in Chikkajajur village, near Chitradurga, in Karnataka.
The main accused Purushotama (19) was allegedly involved in seven offences, including a murder case, while the second accused Sachin (22) was reportedly involved in 10 cases. The third accused Jeevan (19) was involved in four offences. The fourth accused Ajay (20) and fifth accused Puneeth (19) were allegedly involved in three cases each, she added.
