Footage from over 100 CCTV cameras across railway stations and at least six major neighbourhoods, police in Thane have arrested a 45-year-old woman and her 20-year-old son and seized gold and silver valued around ₹11 lakh that they allegedly stole in multiple incidents.
Their latest crime on July 13, in which gold and silver ornaments valued at ₹8 lakh were stolen from a house in Naupada area, led the police to them, PTI reported.
When police examined the CCTV footage from cameras installed nearby, a woman and two children were seen arriving outside the house. "A young girl was seen taking out various tools from her backpack," senior inspector Abhay Mahajan of the Naupada police station said.
Their movements were then tracked through footage from around 100 CCTV cameras. Using both technical intelligence and informers, police first zeroed in on the area around the Thane railway station, Talavpali, and Chandanwadi.
"We found that after the burglaries, the woman would deliberately change routes to evade surveillance," the officer said.
Eventually, clear visuals of the woman and her suspected accomplices emerged.
{{/usCountry}}Eventually, clear visuals of the woman and her suspected accomplices emerged.
{{/usCountry}}The probe was then widened — using both technical intelligence and informers — to Siddheshwar Lake, Wagle Estate, Vartaknagar, Rabodi, Kalwa and Mumbra, and other areas.
Leads finally pointed us towards Diva village.
The son was caught first. "After a two-night surveillance operation, police traced the male suspect, Ganesh Dilip Gupta alias Ganesh Prakash Awhad, 20, near Diva creek, close to a dumping ground, on July 17," said the officer. He was remanded to police custody till July 25.
His interrogation revealed that his mother, Puja Dilip Gupta alias Puja Prakash Awhad, 45, was involved with him in several housebreaks and theft cases in Thane.
The police found that the accused planned to sell the stolen gold, silver jewellery, and valuable stamps to bullion dealers in Mumbai and Thane, using the proceeds to relocate to other districts, the police officer further said.
The police seized 100 grams in gold ornaments, 2.5 kilograms in silver articles and jewellery, and ₹40,000 in cash, among some other things, combined worth ₹10.99 lakh, the official added.
Details about their other possible accomplices were not immediately made available.