Bengaluru: Police have arrested a serial burglar, Raja, who turned to theft after facing financial losses in his travel business during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Baiyappanahalli police recovered 1.25 kilograms of gold jewellery valued at Rs1.84 crore from him.
Raja, a resident of Davanagere, reportedly began committing house burglaries to sustain himself after his travel business collapsed during the pandemic. He was known to always wear a mask during thefts, earning him the nickname “Mask Man” among investigators.
Police said Raja carefully selected residential targets and focused primarily on stealing gold jewellery. So far, investigations have linked him to at least 18 theft cases across Bengaluru.
His arrest helped crack four major burglary cases. Acting on intelligence, the Baiyappanahalli police tracked his movements, detained him, and recovered the stolen gold. Senior officers confirmed the seized gold is valued at Rs1.84 crore.
Further investigation is ongoing to determine whether Raja is involved in additional thefts in other districts or states.
