Vasai police arrest two alleged Bangladeshi infiltrators from Mahim, and a buyer, in pre-Diwali burglary

The Vasai police's detection branch (DB squad) has claimed to have solved a daytime burglary that took place just before Diwali. Police laid a trap in a slum settlement at Mahim Causeway in Mumbai and caught two men. They also arrested a third man who bought the stolen gold from them. Goods worth a total of Rs 6,68,380 were seized from the three.

The operation was carried out under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 2) Ashok Virkar, Assistant Commissioner of Police Devendra Pol, Senior Police Inspector Saurabhi Pawar and Police Inspector (Crime) Prakash Masal. The team included police constables Mukesh Tatkare, Prashant Patil, Suryakant Mundhe, Appasaheb Garje, Prashant Aher, Saurabh Darade, Akshay Nandgaonkar and Deepak Bhangde.

The case relates to the Girij area of Vasai West. Jospin Mathew Martin, 67, who lives in the bungalow "Mathew Smruti" in Sadodawadi, had gone out. During this time, unidentified thieves broke the latch of the main door and entered. They fled with gold and silver jewellery and cash from a cupboard, worth about Rs 3,45,000. A case was registered at Vasai police station.

Treating the crime as serious, the DB squad inspected the spot and traced the suspects through technical investigation. Police received a tip-off that the suspects lived on a pavement in the Bandra-Mahim Causeway area. Police laid a trap there and detained Mohammad Nizam Mohammad Tasir Sheikh (44) and Jahangir Shukarali Sheikh (40).

According to police, the two confessed to the burglary during questioning. They kept giving false addresses, claiming to be from South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal, but the investigation showed they were originally infiltrators from Bangladesh. The main accused, Mohammad Nizam, already has seven serious cases registered against him, while Jahangir has one.

The two told police they had sold the stolen goods to Dattatray Kashinath Koli (52) of Mahim. Koli is an electrician by profession. Police arrested him as well. Gold and silver jewellery, cash and foreign US dollars were seized from him.