Nilgiri : In a major breakthrough, police in Nilgiri have busted an organized theft gang operating across Balasore district of Odisha and seized stolen gold ornaments worth over Rs 1.5 crore. Four individuals have been arrested in connection with the case.
The main accused have been identified as Deepak Behera alias Kalia, Sukanta Das alias Sipu, and Kartik Behera alias Mushi, all residents of the Sadar area. Additionally, a shopkeeper, Bikash Chakraborty from the Town Police Station area, has also been arrested for allegedly purchasing stolen goods from the gang.
Police have recovered cash amounting to Rs 4,80,400 from the accused. According to officials, the gang had been active for a long time in multiple areas, including Sadar, Khantapada, and Sahadevkhunta police station limits in Balasore district.
The accused reportedly have a criminal history, with as many as 16 cases registered against them across different police stations.
The arrests were made following an investigation launched after a complaint filed on the 15th of this month. Balasore Superintendent of Police Pratyush Diwakar stated that the accused are being produced in court, and further investigation is underway to identify other individuals linked to the gang.
Police estimate the total value of the stolen jewellery to be over Rs 1.5 crore.