From recce to burglary, gang’s trail ends in police net

Vadodara: Acting on a tip-off, police intercepted three suspected burglars from Dahod on Monday and recovered gold ornaments from them, cracking a string of thefts across central and northern Gujarat and exposing an itinerant gang that targeted locked homes.

Police said they stopped the trio during a check based on specific inputs. On frisking them, officers found gold ornaments. When questioned, the men could not explain the source of the jewellery, leading to their detention and sustained interrogation.

The accused allegedly admitted to carrying out multiple burglaries over the past few months. Investigators said they have so far cracked 10 cases of burglary and vehicle theft linked to the gang across Vadodara, Dahod, Panchmahal, Surendranagar and Aravalli.

The arrested men are Sanjay Machar, Narsing Minama and Sajan Palas, all residents of Dahod. Of the solved cases, four were reported in Vadodara, three in Panchmahal, and one each in Surendranagar, Aravalli and Dahod.

Police records show that Machar has more than 10 offences, including burglary and theft, registered against him in Vadodara, Panchmahal and Rajasthan. Minama and Palas each have six cases registered against them, with several offences reported in Vadodara.

Investigators said the gang travelled to different cities in Gujarat to carry out crimes. They conducted a recce to identify locked houses and struck when occupants were away.

“We are now trying to recover the jewellery and other valuables stolen by the gang,” police said.