Kasaragod: He would wash his feet before entering a mosque, and if spotted, quietly pretend to offer a prayer before slipping out. But behind that facade of piety was a seasoned burglar, one who specialised in daytime thefts -- exclusively from mosques. Last month, he struck at the Salafi Masjid in Choori, Kasaragod, escaping with ₹3.1 lakh in cash and 16 grams of gold worth around ₹1.45 lakh.

The police caught up with him at the serene Perupalem Beach on the coast of the Bay of Bengal, over 1,200 km from Kasaragod, in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.

"He was partying with his friends. He did not put up any resistance as we had the support of the local police," said Inspector Nalinakshan P, Kasaragod Town Station House Office.

Muhammed Salman Ahmad (34), a native of Muslim Street in Akividu, West Godavari district, was little more than a guest in his own home. “His family members have regular jobs and don’t depend on him,” said a police officer.

Salman had no steady job. Instead, he frequented North Kerala, where he allegedly targeted mosques, committed thefts, and quietly returned to his village. "But before slipping back, he would splurge in Kozhikode, especially at a city bar," said the officer.

He struck last at a mosque in Choori on June 24. CCTV footage showed him breaking in between 8 am and 8.30 am. But the theft went unnoticed until June 29, when the mosque’s office administrator, Muhammed Masood, opened the cupboard to find the money missing. The thief’s face was clearly captured by cameras.

When Kasaragod Town Police circulated the image to other stations, they found Salman had hit mosques in Panoor (Kannur), Malappuram, Palakkad, and Kozhikode’s Kasaba and Elathur areas. "Kannur Police had arrested him once. But he came out on bail and resumed his routine," said the inspector. Salman is reportedly skilled at picking locks and opening cupboards.

A Kasaragod police team went to Kozhikode and spent three days interviewing people who interacted with him. "A bar manager told us he warned his staff not to accept tips from Salman because he seemed shady. Some days he would tip ₹1,000, other days he had no money," the officer said.

With inputs from the bar and Kannur Police, the Kasaragod team traced him to West Godavari, not by tracking his phone, but through meticulous fieldwork.

After he was brought to Kasaragod, a court remanded Salman in judicial custody. Police expect more complaints to surface, as several mosque committees across northern Kerala recall similar thefts they never formally reported.