Mohali police bust gang of jewellery thieves, 10 arrested

The accused hail from Ghaziabad in UP; they had been active in Punjab, UP, Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh

Busting an inter-state gang of jewellery thieves, the Mohali police have arrested 10 persons, including six women, and seized 92-gm gold and 1.850-kg silver jewellery besides two cars from their possession.

The accused in police custody in Mohali. (HT)

Identified as Ashia, 55, Ziada, 55, Asmeen, 35, Mehrunisa, 65, Nargis, 42, Khatoon, 56, Sajid, 34, Munne Khan, 45, Nazim, 45, and Insar, 55, the accused hail from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh.

Holding a press conference at the crime investigation agency’s (CIA) Kharar office, deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Talwinder Singh on Tuesday said the gang had been operational in Punjab, UP, Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh. “The accused are relatives. They used to target jewellery shops in multiple states,” he said.

Regarding their modus operandi, the DSP said the women carried duplicate jewellery which they used to replace with the original ornaments in shops. The male members of the gang kept vigil outside the targeted shops or in the market areas nearby to give a safe escape passage to women in their cars once the job was done, he added.

The accused were nabbed on October 4 in two separate cars from Panchkula and UP. The accused were booked by the Mohali police after they targeted a jewellery shop in Kurali on September 15. The accused were traced through CCTV footage.