PANJIM: The Panjim police have succeeded in cracking a blind case of theft of gold and diamond jewellery worth Rs 50 lakh from a bungalow at Dona Paula, by using an Instagram-based honey trap.
A 31-year-old man from Nepal, identified as Surendra Chetri was arrested by the police from West Bengal and the stolen gold was recovered from Mumbai.
According to North SP Nidhin Valsan, the accused followed the simple modus operandi of roaming around posh localities and robbing houses that were found open. After stealing Rs 50 lakh worth of gold from the bungalow belonging to Dr Sanjay Khope at Dona Paula on July 29, this year, the accused sold it to two buyers, including a jewellery shop in Mumbai.
Panjim Town police through their meticulous planning and intelligence collected the information through CCTV footage and through mobile surveillance, managed to trace the unknown suspected person and his identity.
Through CCTV footage, police managed to trace his movements and also found out that he went to the casino to gamble. However, all the mobile and other ID details given by him to different people in his contact in the State were fake.
However, police managed to trace his active Instagram and Facebook accounts, and made a fake Instagram account of a girl. Police decoy lady befriended him on Instagram. She managed to gain his trust after being in touch with him for several days. He finally revealed his present address, using which police apprehended him from West Bengal.
A team led by PSI Sanket Pokhare was sent to West Bengal and with the help of local police from West Bengal apprehended the accused. Further the police obtained his transit remand of arrest from Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Siliguri, the accused was brought to Goa and further produced before Panjim Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) and remanded him in eight days police custody.
A police team along with the accused visited Goregaon, Malad, and Mumbai and recovered part of the stolen property.