With a spike in the number of housebreaking cases in urban and rural areas in Kozhikode, the police are probing the involvement of a group of frequent offenders suspected to have resumed illegal activities after their jail terms. The role of persons hailing from other States is also being investigated.
“Though there were reports about the arrival of a Tamil Nadu-based gang of burglars, there was no solid evidence to confirm it. With the recurring number of incidents in Kozhikode, there is a chance that an organised manner of thefts is taking place,” said a station house officer from Kozhikode Rural police district. He said the police had stepped up vigil after collecting visuals from some closed circuit television cameras.
Though fingerprints were collected from various crime scenes, they did not match those of local gang members convicted in similar crimes earlier. According to the local police, it indicated the involvement of migrants in thefts.
“With more such incidents being noticed, we have asked local residents to be careful about the presence of strangers in residential areas,” said V. Sajith, a senior civil police officer at Vadakara. He said the beat officers part of Janamaithri schemes had communicated the message to residents.
Officers part of community policing schemes said the increasing number of thefts was yet to catch the attention of many people who left homes carelessly while going on vacation.
The leaders of some residents’ associations in the city said they were conducting night patrol as a preventive measure against thefts. People who go on long vacations were asked to inform the nearby police stations and residents’ association leaders, they said.
