Delhi-Based Gang Nabbed in Bold Pune Cable Heist
In a dramatic pre-dawn operation, the Alankar police in Pune successfully intercepted and arrested a three-member gang from Delhi who were attempting to steal heavy-duty telecommunications cables. The incident occurred around 4 am on Sunday on the busy Karve Road in Kothrud, preventing significant potential disruption to city communications.
The Elaborate Theft Operation
The suspects, all residents of Mandawali in Delhi, had arrived in Pune two days prior to meticulously plan their crime. According to police, the trio, aged between 19 and 31 years, conducted a thorough reconnaissance of the area before launching their operation. "The three men hired a heavy-duty crane and a truck after conducting an online search after their arrival in the city," revealed Senior Inspector Sunita Rokade.
Their method was both brazen and sophisticated. The gang had hired trucks and heavy-duty cranes to physically pull out the valuable cables from the drainage ducts running beneath the road surface. This is not the first time such a method has been employed in the city; a similar interstate gang from New Delhi was busted by Chatushrungi police in September for stealing a 200-meter telecom cable from an underground chamber in Aundh.
The Police Intervention and Investigation
A vigilant police patrol team spotted the suspicious activity and moved in to investigate. "The trio used the heavy-duty crane to pull out the cables from the duct when the patrolling team spotted them," explained Sub-Inspector Ganesh Dixit. "We questioned them, and it revealed that they were stealing the cables. The copper present in the cable is costly, and the three-member gang steals cables from various cities."
The police team, which included Senior Inspector Sunita Rokade, Inspector Anil Mane, and Sub-Inspectors Ganesh Dixit and Mahesh Nimbalkar, acted swiftly to apprehend the suspects. The authorities seized all the evidence from the scene, including the already pulled-out cables and the vehicles used in the crime—the hired trucks and the heavy-duty crane.
Following their arrest and questioning, the suspects were released after the police served them notices, indicating the legal proceedings are ongoing. This incident highlights a concerning pattern of organized cable theft targeting Pune's infrastructure, with valuable copper content driving the criminal activity.
