Interstate gang busted after 10 day ops in Raj-Haryana border, 464 laptops, tablets worth Rs4 crore recovered

Nagpur: A key member of an interstate theft syndicate was arrested by Nagpur Rural Police in a joint operation with Rajasthan cops, leading to the recovery of 464 laptops and tablets worth Rs4.14 crore. The accused, 28-year-old Azharuddin alias Idris, is a resident of Deeg in Rajasthan.Police said Idris and his two accomplices stole a consignment comprising 641 laptops and tablets valued at Rs5.71 crore, along with LED diffuser accessories worth Rs6,000, around May 9. The consignment was being transported from Chennai to Bilaspur by the accused.Investigators said the accused diverted the container truck and shifted the electronic goods into a car near a dhaba on National Highway 44 at Dumri village before fleeing towards the Rajasthan-Haryana border.As the cargo went missing within Parsheoni police station limits, transport company owner Pritam Lal Singh Dhillon, a Haryana resident, lodged a complaint, following which Nagpur Rural SP Harssh A Poddar and addl SP Anil Mhaske formed a special team comprising officials from the Local Crime Branch and Parsheoni police.The team coordinated with Rajasthan Police and conducted searches in Nuh, Mewat, and Bharatpur along the Rajasthan-Haryana border. Using technical surveillance, call detail records, mobile tower analysis, CCTV footage from Deeg, and intelligence inputs, police tracked down and arrested Idris.During interrogation, Idris confessed to involvement in the crime along with the prime accused — driver Arshad Khan, 47, and cleaner Sajid Asluf Khan, 30, both residents of Bharatpur. The two are absconding.Police said the remaining members of the nine-member gang are also on the run, and efforts are underway to trace them. Further recoveries are expected. A car used in the crime, valued at Rs5 lakh, was also seized.Investigators said the accused have criminal records in Rajasthan and other states, pointing to a well-organised interstate syndicate targeting high-value logistics consignments.The operation was led by Sub-Divisional Police Officer Ramesh Barkate, Parsheoni police inspector Rajesh Kumar Thorat, and Local Crime Branch inspector Ankush Mane under the supervision of senior officers.Nagpur Rural Police have urged transporters and logistics firms to verify driver credentials thoroughly and remain alert while handling high-value consignments.