Pune, September 8 (Daily Kiran) : The Pune Crime Branch made significant strides on September 8, 2026, by dismantling an interstate gang involved in the theft of transformers and copper wires. Authorities arrested three suspects and recovered stolen goods valued at 12.73 lakh rupees.
The operation was initiated after Constable Vinayak Salve received a tip-off regarding the gang’s imminent arrival in the Wadgaon area of Haveli taluka. Following this information, Police Inspector Waheed Pathan directed Police Sub-Inspector Rahul Kolpe to verify the details and take appropriate legal action.
The police set a trap in Wadgaon, successfully intercepting a vehicle loaded with stolen goods on Sunday. The three apprehended individuals were identified as Mohammad Sahebjaan Mangrekhan (30), Aadarsh Chandraprakash Pandey (22), and Chandrasen Shivratn Dhariya (28). All three are originally from Uttar Pradesh but currently reside in Pune.
During questioning, the suspects confessed to stealing eight copper transformers over the past six months. These thefts occurred in areas under the jurisdiction of the Lonikand police station, including Wadgaon, Ashtapur, Sangvi Sandas, Nhavi Sandas, and Hingangaon.
The arrests have also helped resolve eight cases registered under Section 324(4) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 136 of the Indian Electricity Act at the Lonikand police station. A third suspect has also been apprehended, and investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of the gang’s operations and the market for their stolen copper.
Previously, on May 27, the Pimpri-Chinchwad police arrested three other gang members linked to 48 transformer theft cases in Pune district. The Chakan North police had also been investigating the theft of copper wires from a transformer at Nexus Healthcare in Biradwadi village, with the incident occurring between May 15 and 16.
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