Delivery truck used as cover for burglary; 3 held

Kochi: City police on Tuesday detained three members of an inter-state burglary gang following a tip-off from Tamil Nadu police . The accused, from Rajasthan and Haryana, allegedly stole a car in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu and abandoned it before entering Kerala, police said.

The suspects have been identified as Saikul (32) from Bharatpur, Rajasthan; Najeer (33) from Mewat, Haryana; and Sadam (38) from Nuh, Haryana.

They were reportedly using a delivery service as a front to commit thefts and had travelled to Kochi to deliver air-conditioning components.

The truck they arrived in was intercepted around 3am in the Panangad police station limits, after Tamil Nadu police alerted Kerala authorities that a truck carrying a stolen car was headed towards Kochi. While the truck did not contain the car, police found AC components and during a detailed inspection, discovered a hidden compartment with a gas cutter and burglary tools.

Drama unfolded at the Panangad police station when one of the accused requested to use the toilet and escaped through a window. He was later caught from a nearby marsh.

"Preliminary findings suggest the gang operated under the pretext of delivering goods, commits thefts and then conceals the stolen items in their truck," a senior officer said.

During questioning, Saikul admitted to stealing a car from Krishnagiri and abandoning it 15km from the Kerala border. Police said he has at least 10 criminal cases, including several vehicle thefts, against him. Investigations are underway into the backgrounds of the other two suspects, with officials suspecting the trio are part of a larger gang based in Haryana.

The arrests come weeks after a Rajasthan-based gang was caught following ATM robberies in Thrissur and a police encounter in Tamil Nadu. Police are now examining whether the latest suspects are linked to other crimes in Kerala.

Their arrest will be formally recorded after detailed interrogation, the officer said.