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Drug addict who stole ₹12 lakh in multiple currencies, arrested in Mohali
The recovered stolen currency includes ₹4,50,000 Indian Rupees, 5,000 Australian Dollars, 2,000 Canadian Dollars, 1,700 US Dollars, 3,400 UAE Dirhams, 517 Malaysian Ringgit, 26,700 Thai Baht, 940 Euros, 2,000 Kenyan Shillings, 10 Singapore Dollars, seven Qatari Riyals, 70 Fijian Dollars and two Omani Rials, along with a motorcycle
Mohali police apprehended an unemployed drug addict on Tuesday who pilfered ₹4.5 lakh in Indian currency and foreign currencies from 10 countries, with a total estimated valuation of ₹8 lakh, to fuel his addiction. The accused has been identified as Ankur Vaid, a resident of Sector 39-C, Chandigarh. Police claim to have solved the theft case involving dollars and dirhams from the shop of a person dealing with Western Union and MoneyGram transfers.
The arrest followed a theft complaint lodged by Sukhdev Singh from his computer shop in Phase-7 on February 22, 2025. Sukhdev Singh, a resident of Sector 42-B, stated in his complaint that he operates a computer shop in Phase 7, facilitating Western Union and MoneyGram transactions. On February 21, around 7am, he opened his shop, lit incense, locked it again, and went to Gurudwara in Sohana. Upon returning, he discovered the back door broken and various foreign currencies stolen from his office drawer. A case was registered under sections 331(3), 305, and 317(2) of the BNS at Mataur police station. CCTV footage from the shop showed a young man breaking the door and stealing the money.
According to CIA in-charge Inspector Harminder Singh, during interrogation, Ankur Vaid confessed that he had been unemployed for about a year and was addicted to drugs. To sustain his addiction, he scouted the shop a few days prior and then executed the theft. Harminder Singh further revealed that the theft was captured on CCTV, showing a young man breaking into the shop and stealing. The police utilized technical and human resources to apprehend the suspect. The recovered stolen currency includes ₹4,50,000 Indian Rupees, 5,000 Australian Dollars, 2,000 Canadian Dollars, 1,700 US Dollars, 3,400 UAE Dirhams, 517 Malaysian Ringgit, 26,700 Thai Baht, 940 Euros, 2,000 Kenyan Shillings, 10 Singapore Dollars, seven Qatari Riyals, 70 Fijian Dollars and two Omani Rials, along with a motorcycle.
