ES Reporter 

ITANAGAR, Jan 5: The Itanagar Police busted a gang of professional thieves involved in a series of high-profile thefts across the Itanagar Capital Region. The arrests came after a month-long investigation led by Inspector K. Yangfo, Officer-in-Charge of PS Itanagar, with support from a dedicated team including SI RK Jha, SI Padam Padi, SI Tana Suraj, and SI Samuel Ngupok. The operation was supervised by SDPO Kengo Dirchi and guided by SP Rohit Rajbir Singh, IPS.
In a press communique,  capital police stated that the gang’s criminal activities spanned several months. On December 11, 2024, a complaint was filed regarding ₹3,00,000 stolen from a car outside the SBI Itanagar branch. The suspects had distracted the victim by scattering fake currency notes and stealing a cash bag in the confusion. Days earlier, on December 9, another victim, Milli Ossen, reported cash stolen from her scooty parked in the V-Mart basement at Ganga Market. Earlier still, on October 28, ATM engineer Dipak Deori reported the theft of ₹1,50,000 along with personal documents while he was servicing a cash deposit machine at SBI's Main Branch.
The police used a combination of technical surveillance and local intelligence to track the gang. It was discovered that the suspects operated within Itanagar before fleeing to other states, such as West Bengal, to evade capture. Acting on a tip-off, two suspects were apprehended on January 3, 2025, near SBI Itanagar. A third suspect was later arrested at Harmutty Railway Station, based on confessions from the initial arrests.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Chandan Gowala (57) and Rakesh (47), both residents of Rajganj, Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, and Deepak Sharma (57), a resident of Baradari, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. The gang used a motorcycle with a fake registration number to commit the crimes.
The police revealed that the gang targeted banks and parking areas, closely observing individuals handling large amounts of cash. They employed distraction techniques such as scattering fake currency notes or spitting on victims to steal their belongings. Their advanced age and temporary residence in Arunachal Pradesh helped them blend in and avoid suspicion.
SP (ICR) Rohit Rajbir Singh (IPS) praised the team for their commitment and swift action in solving the cases. He also urged the public to remain vigilant, avoid leaving large sums of money unattended in vehicles, and report any suspicious activities near banks.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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