6 of a gang involved in thefts at jewellery shops arrested

Six members of a gang, including four women, were today arrested on charges of committing thefts at various jewellery shops, police said.
Accused Zubeda Begum, Tahera Begum, Fareeda, Sabera Begum besides Mohd Azher Ali and Mohd Haneef Shaik were arrested from Mehdipatnam here and stolen gold ornaments worth over Rs 9 lakh was seized from them, they said.
Elaborating on the modus operandi of the accused, DCP (West Zone) V Satyanarayana told reporters that the women, all sisters, wearing burkhas used to enter the jewellery shops at evening hours on the pretext of purchasing gold ornaments.
"Later they used to ask the salesman to show the gold ornaments and commit theft of jewellery by hiding the valuables in their burkhas. After theft, they used to go outside the shop with other customers," the DCP said.

Ali and Shaik used to wait outside and after meeting the women they used to flee with stolen property in an auto-rickshaw, the police officer said, adding, since September 23 last year till October 11 this year the accused committed offences at least six jewellery shops.