JOIN USKP Agrahara police have arrested a five-member gang of notorious burglars. The police recovered four kg gold and 1.3 kg silver from the gang. The gang has committed 44 cases of HBT (House Break-in and Theft) so far.
Police arrested Raja alias Japan Raja (40), Nagaraj (24) and Kiran (26), who used to target houses. They also arrested Neelamma (70), who used to help the gang sell the booty. Jewelry merchant Syed Farooq (48) was also held in connection with the case.
According to the police, the accused were arrested on December 12, while they were preparing for a burglary near Magadi Road. During the interrogation, the gang confessed to 44 burglaries.
Raja has been involved in criminal activities for the past 15 years. Six years ago, he had befriended Nagaraj and Kiran at the Bengaluru Central prison. After their release, the trio took to burglary again.
Neelamma, a KP Agrahara resident, had purchased an auto-rickshaw in 2007 and she had rented it out to Raja. He used to roam the city and identify locked houses. The gang would then ransack the identified houses during nights. Later, Neelamma would help them sell the loot.
Monitor movements
The accused used to target houses where newspapers were piling up, milk packets were left unattended, and the like. They would keep a watch for the lights during the day and night, and used to break open the door.
The accused had committed crimes in 15 police station jurisdictions including Kengeri, Chandra Layout, Madanayakanahalli, Byatarayanapura, Vijayanagar and other station limits.