The thieves are using cover of dense fog and masks to avoid being recognized. (Representational)
Thieves in Gurgaon are employing novel tactics to carry out their business: exploiting the cover of dense fog and wearing Santa Claus mask to avoid being recognized through CCTV footage.
On Friday morning, a group of 10 thieves targeted 14 commercial establishments in the Khandasa road area and escaped with cash and valuables worth lakhs of rupees, a police officer said.
They struck 10 shops in a commercial complex at Khandsa road, just 500 metres away from ACP Shivaji Nagar office, and four shops and two banks at old jail complex, not more than 300 metres way from police commissioner office.
"We believe that it would be a handy work of probably two gangs which utilised the low visibility to commit crime at two different places," police said.
Shop owners got to know about the incident on Friday morning when they came to open shops. They were shocked to find that locks of their shutters were broken. "We have lost valuables worth at least Rs 50 lakh. The thieves are more thoughtful in their approach in committing crimes compared to crime prevention efforts of the Gurgaon police. Lack of police patrolling in the area is also a reason of these incidents," Sanjeev Kumar, a shop owner alleged.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Rajiv Kumar said, "We have registered an FIR against two unknown thieves who are caught in one of the CCTV cameras in Khandsa road market. However, their faces are not visible as they were wearing Santa Claus masks."
During investigation, it came to light that thieves used gas-cutter, iron rod to cut shutters and drill machines to make holes in the wall.
The police have not much evidence apart from CCTV footage at one place where two thieves were seen cutting shutters of shops and stealing valuables.