Mira-Bhayandar: The crime detection unit attached to the Pelhar police station of the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police claim to have busted a four-member gang which was involved in stealing copper and coolant oil from agricultural power transformers in the region.
The action followed in response to a complaint registered by a dairy farm owner-Aseem Nandoliya regarding theft of copper and coolant oil worth more than Rs.6.99 lakh from a transformer installed at his farm in the Sagar Compound area of Pelhar village in Vasai.
The thieves had gained access into the farm by cutting the iron grills during the intervening night of 22 and 23 July-2024. Senior police inspector- Jitendra Vankoti directed the crime detection unit to conduct investigations and nab the culprits at the earliest.
A team led by police inspector (crime)-Kumar Gaurav Dhadvad scanned the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed at the crime scene and possible getaway routes. The team noticed four men arriving at the farm in a red-coloured and committing the theft at around 2 am on 23, July.
Based on the car’s description, the team zeroed-in on the accused quartet who have been identified as-Anees Waaris Ali Momin (24), Abdul Sukar Mohammed Khan (26), Jaishankar Nandarmji Shrimali (64) and Mohammed Sameer Vakeel Momin (42). The accused, who are residents of Bhiwandi, Mumbra and Bhandup, were arrested from Thane and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh.
The police team recovered stolen copper and oil worth Rs. 3.80 lakh from their possession. Investigations revealed their involvement in similar thefts in Ambernath, Dombivali and Taloja. An offence under section 305(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for theft has been registered against the quartet who have been remanded to custody. Further investigations were underway.
