Three individuals, including two jewellers, were arrested in Thane, Maharashtra, for allegedly stealing jewellery from train passengers and purchasing the stolen valuables, the Government Railway Police (GRP) reported on Tuesday.
The GRP was investigating a case in which a woman’s bag containing jewellery was stolen from the Indore-Daund Express in January. After analyzing leads and surveillance footage, the police kept a strict watch on long-distance trains during the night.
On February 18, the police intercepted Mahesh Arun Ghag, who confessed to stealing the woman’s jewellery. He further revealed that he had sold the stolen goods to two jewellers in Zaveri Bazaar, Mumbai.
The police then tracked down and arrested the jewellers, Tanaji Mane (45) and Niteen Yele (44), in Mumbai. Both jewellers admitted to melting the stolen gold and converting it into gold blocks.
The police recovered gold blocks worth Rs 8.64 lakh from the jewellers. The accused were also linked to three other thefts reported at the Kalyan and Vasai Road GRP stations.
The investigation is ongoing, and further arrests are expected as the GRP continues to probe the theft ring.
