Gang stealing copper wires from power transformers busted in Thane; 7 men held, minor detained

Gang stealing copper wires from power transformers busted in Thane; 7 men held, minor detained

Thane, Police in Maharashtra's Thane district have busted a gang involved in dismantling electricity transformers and stealing copper wire with the arrest of seven individuals and the detention of a minor, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Gang stealing copper wires from power transformers busted in Thane; 7 men held, minor detained

Addressing a press conference here, Thane Superintendent of Police Dr Vinaykumar Rathod gave details of the operation that led to the detection of 12 theft cases registered across Thane and Raigad districts, and recovery of goods collectively worth over ₹8 lakh.

A complaint was lodged at the Murbad police station by a senior technician, stating that some thieves broke open a roadside transformer in Sangam village and fled with the copper wiring, he said.

Following the complaint, an FIR was registered under section 303 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita , and a probe was launched under the supervision of Sub-Divisional Police Officer Anil Lad and Murbad police inspector Sachin Hundalekar, he added.

Acting on a specific tip-off that suspects were arriving in Murbad to sell the stolen copper wire, our officers laid a trap and initially apprehended two persons, identified as Sunil Ramesh Pawar and Prashant Prakash Wagh , along with the stolen material, Rathod said.

A juvenile in conflict with the law was also detained in connection with the crime, the SP said.

During their interrogation, the accused confessed to their involvement in multiple thefts across Thane Rural and Raigad districts.

"With their arrest, we have solved a total of 12 cases 10 registered across various police stations in Thane district, and two in Raigad district," Rathod said.

"We have recovered stolen copper material worth ₹5 lakh across all 12 cases. Additionally, a small goods carrier and four motorcycles used in the commission of the crimes, valued at ₹3,20,000, have been seized, taking the total property recovery to ₹8.20 lakh," he said.

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