Chennai Police arrested 4 women in decade-long jewellery theft spree using distraction tactics

CHENNAI: The Ennore police have arrested four women from Andhra Pradesh in connection with a series of jewelry thefts targeting elderly victims in crowded public spaces across Chennai. The suspects, apprehended on Thursday following an intensive probe, employed coordinated distraction techniques to steal gold ornaments undetected.

Identified as Shanthi Selvi (50), Suguna (55), Anjalai (57), and Vasanthi (45), all residents of Guntur in AP, the group allegedly focused on temples, markets, and bus stations. Police revealed their strategy involved exploiting chaotic environments to discreetly remove valuables, often using young children as cover to evade suspicion.

The breakthrough came after an 80-year-old woman, Indira, reported her two-sovereign gold chain missing on February 23. She had visited a temple during the Kumbabhishekam festival when the theft occurred. CCTV footage analysis led a team headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police to trace the suspects’ movements. Acting on a tip about suspicious activity at Basin Bridge railway station, authorities swiftly arrested the quartet.

During interrogation, the women confessed to stealing Indira’s chain and admitted to operating for over a decade across multiple locations. Police recovered stolen gold jewelry from their possession, highlighting their reliance on rapid relocation to avoid detection.

“Their well-practiced distraction methods made them elusive, but surveillance technology was pivotal in cracking the case,” stated a senior officer.

The suspects were remanded to judicial custody after being presented before a magistrate. Investigations continue to uncover potential accomplices and link the group to unresolved thefts.