Srinagar: Police Wednesday said they had busted a gang of burglars active in Hazaratbal and adjoining areas here for the past two years with the arrest of three persons and recovered stolen goods worth Rs 25 lakh.
“Around 15 cases of thefts which occurred during the last two years have been solved. We have got caught hold of 3-4 members of an organised gang of thieves. On their disclosure, we recovered gold worth Rs 25 lakh, which was stolen from different places. Besides it, we also recovered some expensive shawls, ornaments, cameras and cell phones” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Srinagar, Amit Kumar said at a press conference here.
He was flanked by Superintendent of Police (SP) East, Ejaz Ahmad and SDPO Hazratbal, Firoz Yahya.
Kumar said that the thieves mostly belong to the Ganderbal district. However, one among the three arrested burglars, he said, hails from Eidgah area of Srinagar.
“They’re involved in most of the cases of burglary that took place in Hazratbal zone ,” he said.
Speaking about the modus operandi of the gang, Kumar said that the group members would conduct recce in a particular area and then watch closely the movement of the house owner.
“They would see how the person lives in the house. They would observe his timing of leaving and returning home. After proper recce, the burglars would hire a room in the area for a day or two and then plan the timing for strike,” SSP Srinagar said.
Police, he said, had formed a special investigation team headed by SDPO, Hazratbal when the incidents of burglary increased. The team, he said, busted the gang and recovered the stolen goods.
“We’re hopeful that we’ll get a breakthrough after sustained questioning of the accused. More arrests are likely,” he added.
Police identified the burglars as Mushtaq Ahmad Dar and Ghulam Ahmad Dar, both residents of Ganderbal and Ghulam Hassan of Saidpora, Eidgah here.

Reader correspondent