Ahmedabad/Rajkot: The Ahmedabad Crime Branch achieved a second consecutive breakthrough in the Rajkot silver theft case, recovering an additional 40 kg of stolen silver in a follow-up operation late Monday night.With this, the total recovery has reached around 80 kg out of the 120 kg of silver stolen.Officials said the key accused, Mangusingh Rathore, a resident of Naroda, was intercepted near the Mango Cinema area and taken into custody. The arrest came after a targeted manhunt and surveillance-based tracking. Following his detention, Crime Branch personnel searched his residence.During the search, officials recovered another 40 kg of silver and seized equipment suspected to have been used to alter the stolen property. Police said they found 30 kg of silver ornaments in their original form and 10 kg in melted form. A furnace and other tools were also seized, which Rathore allegedly used to melt the ornaments and erase distinctive markings. The melted silver was then converted into bars to facilitate easier sale in the market without attracting suspicion, officials said.Police said the silver was stolen on Feb 4 in the Champaknagar area, where silver trader Atul Patel had stored around 125 kg of the metal. The accused had specific information about the stoke and they broke into the premises and fled with the silver.The crime branch began probing the case and traced the lead to two brothers from Mehsana — Pradeep Prajapati and Kamlesh Prajapati. Kamlesh is absconding. Police had earlier recovered 40 kg of the stolen silver from Pradeep.According to police, the earlier recovery was made after a tip-off that a large consignment of stolen silver was being transported for sale in Mehsana. The crime branch team intercepted the accused while the consignment was being moved.
