Three of gang that targeted locked houses held

Noida: Cops busted a gang of burglars and arrested three people, including the leader, on Wednesday. The gang allegedly targeted locked houses and broke in during the day when most residents would be at work. Stolen cash, gold and silver jewellery, burglary tools and a car, among other items, were seized from their possession.Additional DCP Manisha Singh said a Bakhtawarpur resident lodged a complaint on Tuesday alleging that someone had broken into her house and stolen gold and silver ornaments, Rs 3 lakh in cash, two mobile phones and a laptop. On May 8, another resident of the Sector 127 village had reported that two laptops and other valuables were stolen from his house in the same manner.A special team was formed to investigate, and cops scanned footage from 50-60 CCTV cameras in and around the area to trace the accused. Technical surveillance and manual verification helped investigators identify the suspects. Acting on a tip-off, police intercepted and arrested the trio from the embankment road near Garhi Shahdara village in Sector 131.The accused are Shubham alias Kaku, a resident of TP Nagar in Meerut, Rahul Sharma of Kasna and Sachin Verma of Dankaur. Cops seized around Rs 3 lakh in cash, gold and silver jewellery, four mobile phones, four laptops, a car used in the thefts, lock-breaking tools and an illegal knife from their possession.Police said Shubham is the gang’s leader and a habitual offender. He would scope out the neighbourhoods during the day, identifying houses that were locked. Once a suitable target was located, he would break open the locks using an iron rod, enter the premises and steal cash, jewellery, electronic gadgets and other valuables.Rahul Sharma allegedly assisted in disposing of the stolen property, while Sachin Verma, who works as a goldsmith, melted stolen jewellery and helped sell it in the market to avoid detection.ACP Praveen Singh said the gang members carried knives to intimidate anyone who resisted during their crimes. Police suspect they may have injured victims in previous incidents and are now verifying their criminal records with police stations in neighbouring districts.Additional charges have also been invoked against the accused. A separate case has been registered against Shubham under the Arms Act for possessing an illegal knife. Further investigation is under way to determine the gang’s involvement in other unsolved burglary cases in the region.Records show that Shubham has an extensive criminal history spanning more than a decade. The 38-year-old has been involved in theft, robbery and other criminal activities for nearly 11 years and has previously been jailed multiple times. Cases registered against him include offences under theft-related sections, the Arms Act, Excise Act and the NDPS Act in Meerut and Gautam Budh Nagar.