Two from interstate house-burglary ‘Tatto 313 Gang’ arrested

Udupi: Manipal police have cracked an interstate house-burglary racket operating under the name ‘Tatto 313 Gang’, have arrested two accused, and recovered stolen gold ornaments worth Rs 7.9 lakh.

The case pertains to a burglary reported in Kunjibettu Manchikodi, Shivalli village of Udupi taluk. The complainant, Amitha Daniel, a resident of Shivalli village, had locked her house and outer gate at around 1.45pm on Feb 3, and gone to her mother’s house along with her children.

Next day the neighbours informed that the house door was open. Upon returning, the complainant found that unknown persons had broken into the house between 3.45pm on Feb 3, and 2 pm the next day and stolen approximately 75 grams of gold ornaments. Based on her complaint, a case was registered at Manipal police station under Sections 331(3), 331(4) and 305 of the BNS.

On June 6, PSI (investigation) Shambhulingayya and crime staff members Raviraj and Manjunath were on night patrol when they noticed two suspicious people near Indrali railway godown road in Shivalli village. Upon questioning, the suspects identified themselves as Darshan R, 21, of Raghavendra Layout, Singasandra ward, Bengaluru, and Chandru, 26, of Basavanahalla Gollarahatti in Davanagere district.

During an interrogation, the duo allegedly confessed that they targeted locked houses near railway tracks to steal valuables. They also admitted that they were in the area intending to commit another burglary. Police seized their tools and took them into custody.

The suspects were interrogated by police inspector Mahesh Prasad, who confirmed their involvement in the crime. Following their arrest and subsequent police custody, the accused revealed that they had hidden the stolen gold ornaments in a lodge in Shivamogga. Acting on this information, police recovered about 60 grams of gold ornaments worth Rs 7.9 lakh and seized two mobile phones from the accused.

Modus operandi

Police said the accused had tattooed ‘313’ on their hands and identified themselves as members of the ‘Tatto 313 Gang.’ The gang allegedly targeted houses located near railway stations in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

Their modus operandi involved operating at night while wearing masks, gloves and socks to avoid leaving evidence. They carried iron tools to break open the doors of locked houses and steal valuables.

Police said several criminal cases have already been registered against the accused in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. During the investigation, it came to light that they were allegedly involved in a house burglary under Surathkal police jurisdiction in Sept 2025. Police said efforts are on to arrest two more accused linked to the gang.