SRINAGAR: Mumbai Police tracked two men accused of stealing gold jewellery worth nearly Rs 65 lakh from a workshop in Charkop to the India-Pakistan border area in Poonch district of Jammu Kashmir, where they were arrested and the stolen gold recovered, according to a report published by the Times of India.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Shafir Chaudhary, 27, and Waqar Ahmed Hussain, 31, were employees at the jewellery workshop located at Hindustan Naka in Charkop.
The theft was reported on May 14 between 8 pm and 9.30 pm after the workshop owner, a senior citizen residing in the same suburb, lodged a complaint with Charkop Police. Initially, the complainant reported that 3,176 grams of gold had been stolen. However, a subsequent investigation revealed that 864 grams of gold had actually been taken.
Police said both accused switched off their mobile phones immediately after committing the crime in an apparent attempt to evade detection. Investigators, however, carried out technical surveillance and traced the duo to Poonch, their native place in Jammu Kashmir.
Following the lead, a Charkop Police team coordinated with the Jammu Kashmir Police and travelled to the border district with armed police support due to the sensitive nature of the area.
The accused were apprehended in Poonch, but the stolen gold was not found in their possession during the initial search.
During questioning, investigators learned that the mother and wife of one of the accused had allegedly buried the gold on top of a hill near the border. Assisted by armed Jammu Kashmir Police personnel, the Charkop Police team reached the location and recovered the buried gold after digging at the site.
The accused were later brought back to Mumbai and produced before a local court.
