THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI:
Mapusa police recently apprehended four individuals from a gang involved in the theft of underground electrical cables, a part of ongoing cabling work by the Electricity Department. The thieves are identified as Mohammad Rehan Ali (19 years) r/o Margao and n/o Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh; Saif Ali Khan (18) r/o Colvale; Firoz Abdul Rahim Khan (19) also r/o Colvale and n/o Nasik, Maharashtra; and Ramu Nandu Soni (21) r/o Ponda and n/o Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh.
Two trucks loaded with stolen goods were recovered, including 18 bundles of black electrical cables and 10 bags of damaged aluminum cables. Tools such as hacksaw frames and gas cutters, used by the gang to cut and remove cables, were also seized. The breakthrough came when police detained two suspects in Carona, Aldona, while they attempted to steal large quantities of cables.
SP Akshat Kaushal stated that a trap had been set after receiving reports of cable thefts, leading to the arrests. Interrogations are ongoing to identify additional associates and determine how the stolen property was disposed of.
A case has been filed under sections 303(2), 324(3), and 324(5) of the BNS Act, 2023.
“We are laying extra emphasis on night time patrolling. As directed by CM (Pramod Sawant) and senior officers, we have increased our staff deployment at night. This success is an example of the recent efforts that the staff has put in," Kaushal said.
