Nagpur: A daring housebreaking last month was cracked on Tuesday with valuables of Rs 43 lakh recovered after meticulous scanning of 200 CCTV cameras, combined with technical surveillance and inter-state police coordination. The burglars would splurge their ill-gotten wealth on dance bar girls in Mumbai and spent Rs 10 lakh during repeated visits. Police also stated the burglars visited brothels in different cities.On January 21, the gang struck at the Shikshak Colony residence of Aamna Mohammad Iqbal (23), when he was away. The burglers forced open a cupboard locker and fled with a booty that included gold and silver jewellery, 400 dinars, expensive watches, mobile phones and a black two-wheeler. A case was registered under relevant sections of BNS with Kalamna police. To bust the gang, deputy commissioner of police Niketan Kadam formed a special investigation team led by sub-inspector Santosh Kumar Ramlod. The team ensured exhaustive CCTV scrutiny covering extensive local footage, analysis of mobile location data and call detail records, and seamless coordination with police in Mumbai, Delhi, Aurangabad, Ambikapur, Chatra, Lalganj, and Kulesra in Bihar. The accused attempted to evade capture by moving across cities and states. However, precise intelligence led to a operation at Sakoli toll plaza in Bhandara, where the accused were apprehended.
The arrested individuals include Irfan Shamshad Ansari (21), Sameer Nizam Ansari (19), Anwar Azgar Ali (40), and Pramod Madhukar Kawale (57), all residents of areas like Bhandewadi, Pardi, and Wathoda in Nagpur. A minor was also rounded up.Police stated the minor was used by the gang for conducting recce. Sources also stated Irfan’s 2 brothers are also hardened burglars who are now lodged in Nagpur central prison. Police stated Anwar and Pramod are bullion traders who purchased the stolen valuables from the gang.Investigators revealed the burglars splurged a significant portion — ₹10 lakh — of the stolen cash on entertainment, including visits to high-end dance bars in Mumbai. The entire operation, conducted in a short time, despite inter-state movements of the accused, underscored the effectiveness of technical intelligence fused with human sources.
