Fingerprints in showrrom lead cops to gadget thief

MUMBAI: The MRA Marg police have, on the basis of fingerprints, arrested a 24-year-old Nagpada resident for stealing gadgets worth Rs 10 lakh from a camera-and-mobile showroom in Fort.
Fingerprints of the accused, Tabrej Ansari, matched those found at the spot and he was arrested from Nagpada on Thursday. According to the police, it is rare that a break-in case could be solved in this manner.
According to the police, Ansari broke into the showroom in Fort on October 17 and stole 19 cameras and 100 mobiles worth Rs 10.75 lakh.When the owner arrived at the shop the next day, he was shocked to find the lock of the shutter broken. He immediately informed the police.
A police team arrived at the spot along with fingerprint experts. "Latent fingerprints were found on the doors and the shelves of the showroom. Our team of experts collected them and carefully developed them in our laboratory. Later, when we matched them with our record, we traced Ansari,'' said Sunil Babar, senior inspector of the MRA Marg police.
Ansari was earlier arrested for a motorcycle theft by the Agripada police. He was released on bail and since then he had been absconding. "We laid a trap and arrested him from his neighbourhood on Shuklaji Street in Nagpada on Thursday,'' said Babar. He told TOI that Ansari was also an accused in another case of break-in.
Ansari has been arrested on the charges of break-in and theft. At least 29 mobile and 14 cameras worth Rs 3.85 lakh have been recovered from him, who had hid them in a friend's house. One of his associates is still absconding and the police are searching for the rest of the stolen items.
DCP of Zone-1 Vishwas Nagre-Patil called it a rare success. "In break-in cases, it's very difficult to locate fingerprints. Then, from the collected fingerprints the domestic prints have to be excluded. Then to match the collected ones from thousands of prints from our records is also a tough task. I am happy that our team has solved the case in less than one month,'' he added.