Mumbai Police have arrested eight members of a gang that posed as employees of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) and attempted to steal underground cables worth nearly ₹58 lakh.
MTNL’s underground cable network is spread across Mumbai and plays a crucial role in telephone connectivity. Since these cables are expensive, a gang devised a plan to steal them. To avoid suspicion, the gang procured uniforms resembling MTNL staff attire, along with equipment including a crane and two trucks.
In the early hours of Wednesday, around 3:30 am, the gang reached outside Farooq School in Jogeshwari (West) and began digging near a drain to extract cables. Using the crane, they started loading the cables into trucks.
A police patrol team from Jogeshwari noticed the activity and questioned the men. Initially, the accused claimed to be MTNL workers carrying out official duties. While the explanation seemed convincing at first, the odd timing of the operation raised police suspicion. When the accused failed to provide satisfactory answers, police contacted MTNL directly. Officials confirmed that no such work was being carried out, exposing the gang’s theft attempt.
Police arrested all eight accused on the spot and seized around 1,110 metres of MTNL cable, valued at approximately ₹58 lakh. Efforts are underway to trace other absconding members of the gang. Officials added that the theft had temporarily disrupted MTNL services in the area.