Panaji/Calangute: As revellers thronged to the North Goa beach belt to ring in the New Year, almost 90 stolen mobile handsets — some worth over Rs 1 lakh each — were recovered by the police. North Goa SP Nidhin Valsan said that around 60 thieves in all have been arrested over three days in the run-up to the New Year.
A doctor’s phone worth Rs 1.40 lakh was also stolen while he attended a concert at Bambolim.
The gang of thieves were found largely prowling on unsuspecting tourists in the crowded Calangute and Anjuna beach areas.
Valsan said that besides the thefts, the New Year’s Eve was largely free of any major incidents, and no loss of lives due to drunk driving were also reported.
On the night of December 31, Chandrakant Narvekar, 27, from Durbhat, Ponda, was injured after his bike was hit at Parra by an unknown driver, driving in a rash and negligent manner. The driver fled from the scene.
In another accident, on the Chogm Road, a vehicle from Karnataka was involved in a self-accident, after the driver lost control of the car and hit it against an electric pole.
Mapusa SDPO Jivba Dalvi said that many mobiles were also stolen from the EDM venue at Vagator.
As the complainants were mostly tourists, they did not wish to register FIRs. The tourists only took missing certificates so they could obtain new SIM cards and left the police stations with a request to recover their mobile phones.
“The Anjuna police therefore registered an FIR on behalf of the state, saying that from December 28 onwards at the Sunburn festival venue at Vagator unknown accused committed theft of mobile phones belonging to event attendees. During the investigation, it was learned that gangs of thieves were operating at Sunburn. Accordingly, various teams were formed under PI Prashal Dessai,” Dalvi said.
Siraj Ahmed Shaikh, 38, from Thana, Mumbai, was arrested and nine mobile phones of different brands were recovered from him.
The accused confessed that he had purchased tickets to enter the Sunburn venue to carry out the thefts.
This took the total number of mobile phones recovered from Anjuna ahead of the New Year to 40. Earlier, a mobile theft gang of 18 were arrested and are currently in police custody.
“We will contact the mobile phone owners and return the handsets,” said Dalvi.
Similarly, at Calangute, 12 persons suspected of having stolen mobile phones from tourists and others were arrested on New Year’s night, and 55 mobile phones worth around Rs 15 lakh were recovered from them.
This brings to 29 the total number of mobile thieves arrested by Calangute police in the last few days.
Calangute PI Dattaguru Sawant said that the 12 persons were found moving suspiciously on New Year’s night and were rounded up. “On questioning, they could not give satisfactory answers regarding their presence in the vicinity and also they could not justify the possession of mobile phones with them. They were placed under arrest and further investigation is in progress,” he said.
The suspects have been identified as Adil Malik Kazim, 30, and Mohammad Shabaz Manjuri, 27, both from Delhi, Arvind Gaikwad, 37, Ajay Jadhav, 40, Mumbai, Rehman Jalauddin Ansari, 21, Nasir Shaikh, 34, all from Mumbai, Murli Singh, 19, from Uttar Pradesh, Rashid Mulla, 21, a resident of Assagao, Mazid Miah, 29, Meneraf Mulla, 19, Kharijun Islam Mulla, 34, Santu Mulla, 22, all residents of Calangute, and natives of West Bengal .
Earlier, on Friday five persons from Karnataka had been arrested by Calangute police and mobile phones worth Rs 5 lakh recovered from them, one day after a 12-member gang from Maharashtra had been busted and phones and two cars worth Rs 45 lakh recovered from them .
Also, scooter thefts on December 29 and 30 were reported in Canacona, Margao, Mapusa and Pernem.
A doctor’s phone worth Rs 1.40 lakh was also stolen while he attended a concert at Bambolim.
The gang of thieves were found largely prowling on unsuspecting tourists in the crowded Calangute and Anjuna beach areas.
Valsan said that besides the thefts, the New Year’s Eve was largely free of any major incidents, and no loss of lives due to drunk driving were also reported.
On the night of December 31, Chandrakant Narvekar, 27, from Durbhat, Ponda, was injured after his bike was hit at Parra by an unknown driver, driving in a rash and negligent manner. The driver fled from the scene.
In another accident, on the Chogm Road, a vehicle from Karnataka was involved in a self-accident, after the driver lost control of the car and hit it against an electric pole.
Mapusa SDPO Jivba Dalvi said that many mobiles were also stolen from the EDM venue at Vagator.
As the complainants were mostly tourists, they did not wish to register FIRs. The tourists only took missing certificates so they could obtain new SIM cards and left the police stations with a request to recover their mobile phones.
“The Anjuna police therefore registered an FIR on behalf of the state, saying that from December 28 onwards at the Sunburn festival venue at Vagator unknown accused committed theft of mobile phones belonging to event attendees. During the investigation, it was learned that gangs of thieves were operating at Sunburn. Accordingly, various teams were formed under PI Prashal Dessai,” Dalvi said.
Siraj Ahmed Shaikh, 38, from Thana, Mumbai, was arrested and nine mobile phones of different brands were recovered from him.
The accused confessed that he had purchased tickets to enter the Sunburn venue to carry out the thefts.
This took the total number of mobile phones recovered from Anjuna ahead of the New Year to 40. Earlier, a mobile theft gang of 18 were arrested and are currently in police custody.
“We will contact the mobile phone owners and return the handsets,” said Dalvi.
Similarly, at Calangute, 12 persons suspected of having stolen mobile phones from tourists and others were arrested on New Year’s night, and 55 mobile phones worth around Rs 15 lakh were recovered from them.
This brings to 29 the total number of mobile thieves arrested by Calangute police in the last few days.
Calangute PI Dattaguru Sawant said that the 12 persons were found moving suspiciously on New Year’s night and were rounded up. “On questioning, they could not give satisfactory answers regarding their presence in the vicinity and also they could not justify the possession of mobile phones with them. They were placed under arrest and further investigation is in progress,” he said.
The suspects have been identified as Adil Malik Kazim, 30, and Mohammad Shabaz Manjuri, 27, both from Delhi, Arvind Gaikwad, 37, Ajay Jadhav, 40, Mumbai, Rehman Jalauddin Ansari, 21, Nasir Shaikh, 34, all from Mumbai, Murli Singh, 19, from Uttar Pradesh, Rashid Mulla, 21, a resident of Assagao, Mazid Miah, 29, Meneraf Mulla, 19, Kharijun Islam Mulla, 34, Santu Mulla, 22, all residents of Calangute, and natives of West Bengal .
Earlier, on Friday five persons from Karnataka had been arrested by Calangute police and mobile phones worth Rs 5 lakh recovered from them, one day after a 12-member gang from Maharashtra had been busted and phones and two cars worth Rs 45 lakh recovered from them .
Also, scooter thefts on December 29 and 30 were reported in Canacona, Margao, Mapusa and Pernem.
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