Undercover, 2 Mumbai Cops Flipped Omelettes For 15 Days To Arrest Thieves

For 15 days, two men in Surat chopped onions, flipped omelettes and served bhurji to customers. What no one knew was that they were not vendors, but police officers waiting for the right moment to arrest the interstate thieves.

Police in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar have arrested two members of an interstate theft gang following a 15-day undercover operation in Surat. To track the suspects, a police team travelled to Surat and worked undercover at a roadside food stall near their residence, posing as vendors selling omelettes, bhurji and other items. The officers maintained surveillance for nearly two weeks before confirming the identities of the accused.

The suspects, identified as Gurudas Suresh Koli (28) and Amol Gokul Jadhav (33), were arrested on April 27.

The investigation began after a theft on March 19 at Indraneel Apartments in Vedantnagar, where cash and valuables worth Rs 3.23 lakh were stolen. Police scanned footage from around 150 CCTV cameras. In one clip, the face of a suspect was clearly visible, allowing officers to match him with existing criminal records.

The trail led investigators to Surat, where the suspects were believed to be staying in Palsana taluka.

Acting on instructions from senior officials, constables Yogesh Navsare and Pradeep Dandwate were sent to Surat. They set up at a food cart close to the suspects' location and kept watch. After confirming their movements, the police team carried out a raid and arrested both accused.

According to police, the accused used stolen cars fitted with multiple fake licence plates to commit thefts and evade detection. They avoided using personal mobile phones and relied on apps to identify toll-free routes, helping them bypass checkpoints.

Once inside a city, they would identify unoccupied houses, break into lockers and leave immediately. Investigators said the two have multiple cases registered against them, including eight in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and around 28 in Nashik.

The accused have been produced before a court and remanded to police custody until May 5. Police said further interrogation is underway to determine their involvement in other cases.

(With inputs from Amol Patil)