Maradu: A Mumbai-based shoplifting gang that steals only costly shaving cartridges from supermarkets across the state has finally fallen into the police net.
The arrested were identified as Maneesh Makyjaan (23), Mehboob Mahmood Shaikh (24), and Ayaan Moideen (26), all residents of Kalyan, Mumbai.
According to cops, the gang looted shaving cartridges from various supermarkets across the state during their Kerala visits. They stole merchandise worth Rs 3 to 5 lakh each time they headed south. The hundreds of cartridges that they loot over the next few days will be taken back to Mumbai.
A police squad led by Ernakulam ACP Rajkumar finally caught the trio from Kozhikode with the help of local police while they were probing a similar theft that happened at Maradu supermarket.
Earlier, the cops had issued a warning about the presence of such a gang. Though the security staff of a supermarket at Edappally identified them, the trio managed to escape after attacking them.
“Their modus operandi was to smuggle out costly cartridges from supermarkets, hiding them in their clothes. Each cartridge costs Rs 500 to Rs 1000,” a senior police official said.
The investigation team, which included personnel of the Crime Squad and Maradu Police, traced down the gang members with the help of AI cameras. The police uploaded CCTV images of the suspects to an AI server and analyzed similar images from different districts.