Posing as goat traders in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, Chhattisgarh cops chase 300km on Yamuna Expressway to catch interstate burglar

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh’s Durg police officers sold goats in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, roamed neighbourhoods posing as census officials and finally chased a speeding SUV for nearly 300km on the Yamuna Expressway before arresting an alleged interstate theft syndicate kingpin accused of masterminding burglaries worth crores across multiple cities.The accused, identified as Nasir Anas Khan, is alleged to be part of a major interstate burglary network operating across Delhi, Meerut and Bihar. Police claim he was involved in high-value thefts in Bhilai, Durg, Raipur, Bilaspur, Bhopal, Indore and Chandigarh.The operation began earlier this month after multiple theft complaints surfaced from Nehru Nagar, Supela, Padmanabhpur and Durg city areas. During the investigation, police first arrested Meerut resident Hashim Khan and later detained jeweller Salim Khan, who allegedly purchased stolen gold ornaments. Officials said gold worth around Rs 60 lakh was recovered from them.Interrogation led police to Nasir, described by investigators as the mastermind behind the network. But tracking him down proved difficult.Durg SSP Vijay Agrawal said that police teams reached Shaheen Bagh, Madanpur Khadar and Noida, only to find that the accused frequently changed hideouts and avoided using his own identity while staying in hotels or rented accommodations.With direct surveillance becoming nearly impossible in the densely populated localities packed with multi-storey apartments, investigators decided to blend into the neighbourhood instead, he added.Some policemen began posing as goat traders and spent days mingling with local vendors and residents to gather intelligence. During the covert operation, the team reportedly sold around 12 goats in the area to maintain cover.When that strategy failed to yield concrete leads, officers switched roles again, this time pretending to be census officials. Going door-to-door, they casually collected information about suspicious tenants, visitors and movement patterns in the locality.The week-long undercover exercise finally paid off when police received information that Nasir was planning to flee to Bihar’s Darbhanga in a car allegedly bought using proceeds from stolen jewellery. Durg police immediately launched a pursuit on the Yamuna Expressway.According to crime branch DSP Yudamani Sidar, the accused was driving at a speed of nearly 150-160 kmph while trying to evade capture. Police chased the vehicle for almost 300km before intercepting it and arresting him.During interrogation, Nasir confessed to involvement in several major theft cases, police said.Based on his disclosures, police recovered valuables worth nearly Rs 20 lakh, including a diamond bracelet valued at around Rs 7 lakh, gold and silver ornaments, silver coins, Rs 1.22 lakh in cash, new branded clothes and a luxury SUV allegedly purchased using stolen money.Officials said the accused had been living a “luxury lifestyle” while constantly moving between cities to stay ahead of law enforcement agencies.Nasir, originally from Bihar’s Darbhanga district, was brought to Durg on transit remand and further questioning is underway to trace other members of the gang and possible interstate links.