Kolhapur: Three persons roaming through villages posing as vegetables vendors have been arrested for allegedly breaking into houses in Shahuwadi, Kodoli and Pethvadgaon areas. The police have recovered valuables worth Rs 6.91 lakh from them.
Police said the gang members would tour the villages on the outskirts of the city in their tempo traveller on the pretext of selling vegetables and identify houses that are vacant for many days. They would then target these houses and decamp with the valuables.
The arrested have been identified as Sagar Jaywant Kadam, 29, a resident of Talsande village in Hatkanangle taluka and Rekha Arjun Gosavi, 28, and Mangala Subhash Gosavi, 39, both residents of Wadange in Karveer taluka.
Kolhapur police claimed to have solved 16 house break-ins with the arrest of the three persons, including two women. All the robberies were reported in the villages near Kolhapur city in the jurisdiction of Shahuwadi, Kodoli and Pethvadgaon police stations.
Kolhapur Superintendent of Police Pradeep Deshpande said, "The trio were arrested on April 28 following suspicion over their movement in Shahuwadi. The two women have been remanded in magistrate custody and are lodged in Bindu chowk sub jail, while Kadam is in police custody."
On the night of April 28, a patrol team in the jurisdiction of Shahuwadi police station got information about the suspicious movement of the suspects. The police started following the tempo traveller that was passing through and later obstructed them.
"On inspection, the suspects were found to be carrying some instruments used in house break-ins along with gunny sacks full with potatoes and onion. They were detained for some time and during questioning, they confessed to the crime," Deshpande said.
He said the modus operandi of the trio was to tour the villages on the outskirts of Kolhapur with bags of onion and potatoes posing as vegetable vendors. They would identify isolated houses and confirm that the residents were away for long duration. Later, they would draw up a plan to break into the houses and decamp with valuables. They would strike either in the morning or night, depending on the opportunity, he added.
"Later, Kadam would sell these valuables to some jewellers in the district and share the money with his accomplices. We are busy gathering information about the jewellers and will take appropriate action against them," he said.
The police said they were hoping to crack more such cases following the interrogation of the trio in their custody.
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