Kochi: Four women nomads, who used to enter houses posing as scrap collectors in the daytime and indulge in theft during night, were arrested by the Ernakulam Central police.
They were held on the charge of stealing 20 sovereigns of gold, cash worth Rs 3,25,000 and other valuables worth Rs 25 lakh that includes American dollars and a Rolex watch, from a house near Lakshmi Hospital in Ernakulam.
The arrested are Amaravathi, 20, wife of Vishnu, Kottur Laksham Veedu in Thiruvodu in Kozhikode' Devi, 22, wife of Marimuthu, of Manikunnu Veettil at Kenichira in Sulthan Bathery; Kasthoori, 22, and Devi, wife of Keshavan, 21.
The police had a tough time during the first stage of the investigation in the case since there were no CCTV cameras in the house where the theft took place.
But the police got a clue about the women scrap collectors from the CCTV visuals collected from the neighbouring houses. The police then launched a massive hunt for the accused in Kozhikode, Kannur and Wayanad districts.
When the first accused was caught, she was found wearing some of the stolen valuables. As per the inputs received from her, other accused were also nabbed.
Modus operandi
During questioning, the accused revealed their modus operandi. During day time, they enter houses along with children in the garb of ragpickers for surveillance. They then identify houses which are locked or where no one resides. In order to easily identify such houses, they put some signs or symbols at the house.
Mostly, their husbands indulge in robbery during the night. If anyone is spotted in the house contrary to their expectations while committing theft, they don't hesitate to attack the person.
The houses having CCTV cameras are completely kept out of their operations.
A team led by Ernakulam central police station inspector Vijayasankar arrested the accused.
