The Crime Branch of Navi Mumbai police arrested two persons from Rajasthan and busted an interstate racket who were breaking window glass of cars and stealing valuables. The police also seized stolen goods worth Rs 13.6 lakhs from them. The police claimed that at least seven cases of theft were solved with their arrests.
The arrested accused were identified as Ajay Gopal Chauhan,38, a professional driver and resident of Khidkali in Thane and Rohan Ashok Kanjar,24, an unemployed and resident of sector 12 in Koparkhairane, Navi Mumbai. Both are natives of Rajasthan. The Crime Branch formed a special team after a sudden rise in theft of valuables from cars parked across Navi Mumbai, especially in the APMC area. The police team checked CCTV footage and visited the theft sites.
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The investigation revealed that a particular inter-state gang was active in Navi Mumbai area, which were committing such crimes. The gang was traced through technical investigation in Navi Mumbai and Thane area. “They were using a scooter without a number plate. They targeted APMC traders, and in some cases, they followed them to the wholesale market in Vashi. Later, they broke the window glass in the parking area of cars and stolen valuables,” said an official from the Crime Branch.
On March 19, 2024, the police received a tip-off from a reliable source that the gang was planning to commit a similar crime on the ground in the Ghansoli area. Accordingly, the police laid a trap and detained two accused with the scooty without a number plate.
The police seized a scooty used in the crime and a car bought with the stolen money. The police also seized gold ornaments that were bought with the stolen money. The interrigation revealed that three more persons were involved in the crime and they were identified as Santosh Chauhan, Vishal Singh and Aniket alias Lala Chari, all are residents of Bharatpur, Rajasthan.