Thane: Police Arrests High-Flying Burglar, Recovers ₹1.13 Lakh in Stolen Jewelry

In a major breakthrough, the The Wagle Estate Unit 5 of Thane Crime Branch has apprehended a prolific burglar responsible for numerous thefts across Gujarat and Maharashtra. The operation, sparked by a case at Shrinagar Police Station, led to the recovery of stolen jewelry and cash worth Rs. 1,13,100. The suspect’s arrest has solved at least seven additional cases in Thane and provided leads to numerous unsolved burglaries across states.

An investigation was launched under FIR No. 361/2024 at Srinagar Police Station, registered under IPC sections 454, 457, and 380. The accused’s sophisticated burglary techniques and interstate operations had previously allowed him to evade capture.  However, on July 25, 2024, Senior Police Inspector Vikas Ghodke of Crime Branch Unit 5 received a tip-off that  accussed Raju Sheikh, also known as Bengali, aged 41, residing at Janala Sevak Society, Mori Road, Mumbai, originally from Kantana Bazar, Vishalgarh, Sonamura, Agartala, Tripura, would be selling stolen jewelry at Kamgar Naka, Wagle Estate, Thane.

Acting on this information, Sub-Inspector Tushar Mane and his team set up a trap and apprehended Sheikh. They seized gold and silver jewelry along with cash totaling ₹1,13,100. Further interrogation led to the solving of seven additional cases registered at Srinagar and Kapurbawdi Police Stations. Sheikh has a history of offenses in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

"We found out that the accused used to fly to Mumbai from Tripura. He would stay in the city for about a month, committing multiple house-breaking crimes before flying back to Tripura," DCP (Crime) Shivraj Patil revealed. "His preference for air travel over trains was a deliberate attempt to evade police detection, showcasing the extent of his caution and planning." The accused has now  been arrested and the further investigation is going on.