Police Catch Gang Stealing Copper and Oil in Mira-Bhayandar

Mira-Bhayandar: The crime detection unit of the Pelhar police station has successfully dismantled a four-member gang involved in the theft of copper and coolant oil from agricultural power transformers in the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) region. The operation was initiated following a complaint from Aseem Nandoliya, a dairy farm owner, who reported a theft exceeding Rs. 6.99 lakh from a transformer at his farm in Pelhar village. The incident occurred during the night of July 22-23, 2024, when the thieves accessed the property by cutting through iron grills. Under the direction of Senior Police Inspector Jitendra Vankoti, the crime detection unit launched an investigation, focusing on closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the scene. The footage revealed four suspects arriving in a red vehicle and committing the theft around 2 a.m. on July 23. This critical evidence allowed the police to identify the suspects as Anees Waaris Ali Momin (24), Abdul Sukar Mohammed Khan (26), Jaishankar Nandarmji Shrimali (64), and Mohammed Sameer Vakeel Momin (42), all residents of Bhiwandi, Mumbra, and Bhandup. The police apprehended the suspects in Thane and Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, recovering stolen copper and oil valued at Rs. 3.80 lakh. Further investigations indicated the gang's involvement in similar thefts across Ambernath, Dombivali, and Taloja. The quartet has been charged under section 305(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for theft and has been remanded to custody as investigations continue.