Two Nepalis from gang of 4 caught for burglary

Crime Branch officials on Wednesday arrested two men said to be Nepali nationals who were allegedly part of a four-member gang of burglars.

The modus operandi of the gang was to gain employment as security guards in residential complexes and then break into homes when the occupants were on vacation or were not present. Sources said the accused would target rich homes and after taking valuables would flee in a few days.

They had recently broken into the house of a doctor in Charkop area and fled with valuables worth over Rs 40 lakh. Sources said the gang has stolen cash, valuables and even carried off liquor bottles.

The arrested accused were identified as Bahadur Sahi (26) and Biru Bika (30) who were part of the gang.

“They would monitor the movements and schedules of the occupants and then break in at a time when the house was empty and locked. They would then enter from the main door and burgle the house,” said an officer.

In a recent case, the gang members were identified after the CCTV camera recorded their activities. “The CCTV camera helped reveal their faces, through which we started enquiring about their whereabouts,” the officer added.

The investigation revealed that after the Charkop theft, the duo had stopped coming to work and that Sahi had gained employment at a building in Khar while Bika was in Kamothe, Navi Mumbai. Officials said the remaining two members were yet to be identified. “One has been simply identified as Deepak and is said to be a resident of Kamothe. After every burglary, the gang would assemble at his residence and divide the loot,” he said.

The officials also said the gang had tried to damage the CCTVs. The police has recovered valuables worth around Rs 1.5 lakh from the duo. Officials revealed that the other two had the remaining loot and efforts were on to track them.