Rourkela: In a significant breakthrough, Rourkela police have busted an inter-state gang accused of gold jewelry thefts, with the arrest of nine persons hailing from Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha.
Operating under the guise of offering free jewelry cleaning services, the gang allegedly posed as representatives from a reputed wellness brand to deceive victims into handing over their gold.
The accused have been identified as Amit Kumar Sah (30), Goutam Kumar Soni (33), Kundan Sah (41), Dhananjay Kumar Sharma (32), Arbind Kumar Soni (30), Mehraj Haldar (36), and Anil Kumar (49) from Bihar; Amit Kumar (30) from Jharkhand; and Ashok Yadab (42) from Sundargarh, Odisha, police said.
Police have seized 103.3 grams of stolen gold, both in ornament and melted forms. Police also seized three motorcycles and eight mobile phones, seven of which were smart phones.
According to the police, the investigation began after Kama Behera filed a complaint at Sector 7 police station.
Police said the gang used distraction tactics while posing as jewelry cleaners to steal gold.
The group, which used to operate in pairs, had rented a house in Gopabandhupali under the Plantsite police station jurisdiction since 2021.
During this time, 27 similar cases were reported in Rourkela Police District, with the gang’s involvement confirmed in 21 cases.
Further investigation by the police is underway to track down any remaining associates and establish links to additional crimes in neighboring districts.
