Bhubaneswar: Police have arrested five persons, including three women, in Sambalpur in connection with an interstate gold theft racket linked to Chhattisgarh, officials said on Sunday.
According to police, the accused were involved in stealing gold ornaments from a jewellery shop in the Rampur area of Chhattisgarh on April 24. The women allegedly posed as customers and executed the theft without drawing suspicion.
Following the incident, the group is believed to have moved to Sambalpur and taken shelter at a hotel in the VSS Marg area, where they were reportedly planning further thefts.
Acting on a tip-off, police raided the hotel and apprehended all five accused. During the operation, officers recovered stolen gold jewellery and seized a vehicle allegedly used in the crime.
“Three women and two men from West Bengal stole gold ornaments from a jewellery shop on April 24. They were travelling in an SUV. After the incident, local police tracked their movement and received information that they were staying in Sambalpur. Acting on the tip-off, a police team traced them to a hotel and detained them. Gold ornaments were recovered from their possession. The accused have been handed over to the local police, and further investigation is underway,” said Sambalpur Additional SP Ajay Kumar Mishra.
Police said preliminary investigation suggests the accused were planning further thefts in the region, indicating a wider criminal network. Efforts are on to ascertain if the gang is involved in similar crimes in other states as well.
