The Ernakulam police have arrested four youths, all natives of Alappuzha, on charges of robbery.
The arrested persons — Maneesh, Tahir Yousuf, Bilal and Jithu — had come all the way from Alappuzha to the flood-ravaged township of Aluva to take advantage of the chaotic situation prevailing in the region. Using sharp-edged metal weapons, they broke open several abandoned houses and vehicles and stole valuables before landing in police custody on Monday.
The incident, according to officials with the Ernakulam Rural police, was just one among a series of thefts being reported from the flood-ravaged regions of Perumbavoor, Aluva, Puthenvelikkkara and North Paravur over the last couple of days. Indeed, they fear more cases of such post-flood loots will be revealed in the coming days.
The police have stumbled upon several videos of burglary victims being circulated widely through social media.
Confirming that several such cases have come to the attention of the police, Rahul R. Nair, Superintendent of Police, Ernakulam Rural, said security and monitoring had been strengthened in the region.