Jewellery Heist Gang Had Opened Website To Recruit Members
Four held in Karimnagar robbery case
KARIMNAGAR: The Karimnagar police have made a breakthrough in the robbery at the PMJ Jewellery showroom, detaining four suspects from Bihar and West Bengal. The gang allegedly decamped with 1.5 kg of gold on May 3 in a carefully planned operation that investigators say resembled a high-stakes crime thriller.
Police said the accused, hailing from different regions, were recruited online through a website specifically for the heist. After being selected, they travelled separately to Karimnagar to execute the pre-planned robbery.
Initial investigations indicate that the operation was masterminded and remotely monitored by a gang operating from inside a Bihar jail, with instructions relayed to the recruits from behind bars.
The probe gained momentum after police traced a gold trader in West Bengal who had purchased stolen ornaments from one of the accused. This led to the detention of the first suspect, followed by three others in Bihar. Investigators said the five-member gang later split up after entering Maharashtra, selling their individual shares of the gold at different locations. While four suspects are in custody, the alleged mastermind, identified as Shabuddin Pathan, remains at large.
Police have intensified efforts to nab Pathan and said a detailed announcement on the arrests and recovery of the stolen gold will be made once all accused are apprehended and the property is secured.
