Three held for robbing goods worth ₹50 lakh from electronics store in Navi Mumbai
The Navi Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested three men for breaking into an electronics showroom in Kharghar on August 30 to steal mobile phones and laptops worth Rs50 lakh. The accused also robbed the DVR of CCTV cameras installed in the shop, leaving no clues behind for police to investigate.
Bipin Kumar Singh, Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner, said: “The taxi used by the accused was also stolen. Hence, the investigating team had absolutely no clue about the accused.”
A police officer from the Central Unit Crime Branch, requesting anonymity, said, “We tried tracing the taxi used in the crime by using the trail of CCTV footages. But, beyond Mankhurd they could not be traced.”
The accused were finally arrested on September 4 after senior police inspector (central unit) Nivrutti Kolhatkar and his team received information about their whereabouts.
The accused have been identified as Ayaan alias Nisar alias Bittu Rafi Ahmad Shaikh (28), a resident of Dharavi and originally hailing from Bihar, Shafikulla alias Sonu Atikullah (24) of Matunga and originally hailing from Uttar Pradesh, and Imran Mohammad alias Immu Bindu Ansari (25) of Nallasopara.
The accused had stolen the taxi from Kurla on August 14 and did a recce of Shiv Electronics in Kharghar. In the wee hours of August 30, they broke into the shop using gas cutters.
Suresh Mengade, deputy commissioner of police (special branch), said: “After entering the shop, they covered all the windows with curtains so that none from outside could notice them. They chose this shop as it was surrounded by less CCTVs outside.”
After the accused were arrested, police recovered stolen phones and laptops worth Rs 45 lakh from their possession. Police learnt that the accused had planned to take the stolen booty to various states and sell them.
“Once the accused crossed the state and sold the stolen booty, it would become challenging to trace the goods. The accused had planned to transport these goods via trucks to various agents in Rajasthan, Delhi and Haryana. The stolen phones and laptops were usually sold at half the rate to these agents,” Singh said.
The accused have previous history of crime in Mumbai, Thane rural and Palghar. Around 26 cases have been registered against them. They have been remanded to police custody till September 11.