What began as a high-stakes theft at a godown in Thane’s Bata Compound—where thieves made off with Rs 51 lakh worth of goods and even the DVR unit to erase CCTV footage—has led the Thane Crime Branch to a breakthrough. A notorious interstate gang of six, known for precision thefts, is now under the scanner. Three members have been arrested so far, linked to at least six cases this year across Thane, Navi Mumbai, Pune, and Aurangabad. Two are repeat offenders with a staggering 38 prior cases between them.

The case surfaced on July 15, when a cigarette distributor reported a theft of Rs 51 lakh from his godown in the Bata Compound area under Rabodi police jurisdiction.

Though the accused stole the DVR unit to wipe CCTV evidence, parallel technical analysis by PSI Dayanand Naik and Constable Sandeep Mahadik traced visuals of four suspects.

The gang’s modus operandi was to use stolen vehicles to mislead police—lifting two-wheelers and tempos near crime scenes for use during the heist, then abandoning them to throw investigators off track. By taking DVR units, police said, they aimed to destroy both digital and physical trails. Another ploy was to stay in lodges around Mumbai, frequently shifting locations to remain untraceable, confirmed Senior PI Sachin Gaikwad of Crime Branch Unit 1.

Police identified the three arrested as Mahendra Kumar Meghwal, 28, from Rajasthan’s Pali district—the alleged ringleader operating across states and a suspected mastermind of multiple thefts. He managed logistics and disposal of stolen goods. With 14 prior cases since 2016 in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh, he is said to have trained the gang in executing robberies. The second accused, Rajesh alias Anna Baban Kadam, 47, from Kandivali, has 24 criminal cases across Mumbai, Pune, and Ratnagiri; he allegedly scouted targets and handled local logistics. The third, Ganesh Patidar, 47, from Rajasthan’s Dungarpur district, helped transport stolen goods.

Interestingly, instead of jewellery or cash-heavy homes, the gang targeted high-value commercial goods like cigarette cartons—lucrative in the grey market and harder to trace. The probe revealed their role in eight major housebreakings in Thane, Navi Mumbai, Pune, and Aurangabad. The other three accused—Mahavir Kumawat, Dharmesh Shiroya, and Brijesh Gurjar, all from Mira Road—are absconding, with police launching a manhunt to trace them.

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