Rs 3 cr jewellery heist in Suryapet: Burglars cut through washroom wall to loot store
The daring break-in took place at Santoshi Jewellers, located inside the bustling Mahatma Gandhi Market.
The crime came to light in the morning, when neighbouring shopkeepers noticed a gaping hole in the common washroom wall behind the store and alerted the jewellers. "We received a call from the neighbouring shop owner who noticed the hole in the wall. When we rushed in, we were shocked to see the store had been looted," the store management told the media.
According to Suryapet police, the gang entered the premises from the rear side of the building, where an unlocked door led them to three shared washrooms. Using crowbars, gas-cutters, and other tools, the burglars created a hole through one washroom, which led into another washroom inside the jewellery store.
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"Opposite to this washroom was the storeroom secured with a shutter," a senior officer explained. "They used gas-cutters to slice open the shutter and access the room where the ornaments were kept," he said.
Interestingly, the gang did not enter the main showroom. Instead, they targeted the storeroom attached to the showroom, bypassing the front completely. A CCTV camera inside the storeroom recorded the burglars at 12.45 am, but was soon covered with a plastic mug to obscure further footage.
Police said a locker inside the room was left untouched, suggesting the burglars knew exactly where to look. After the heist, the gang retraced their path through the same hole, disappearing into the overgrown vegetation at the rear of the building.
Santoshi Jewellers initially claimed that 15 kg of gold, Rs 18 lakh in cash, and 400 grams of gold biscuits were stolen. However, by Monday evening, police said the owner was still auditing the inventory to ascertain the exact loss.
While initial claims from the shop owner pegged the loss at Rs 15 crore, police said the number was based on panic and not verified. "The owner is still auditing the stock against records. As of now, the confirmed loss is around Rs 3 crore," a senior police official said.
At least five persons are suspected to be involved in the burglary. Suryapet police have formed special teams and are probing whether it's the handiwork of a Jharkhand-based gang known for executing similar operations.
"We are analysing the modus operandi, reviewing CCTV footage, and matching fingerprints lifted from the scene," the police official added. A Clues team was pressed into action to assist with forensic evidence.
The shop, which had been closed over the weekend, was in the process of shifting to a new location, a detail police believe the offenders might have known. The gold ornaments typically kept on display had already been moved to the storeroom, making the burglars' strike eerily precise and well-timed, police added.
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