'Retired' gang members, tattoo on chest help Kerala cops nab Kuruva thief in Alappuzha

Alappuzha police spotted a pattern in thefts in three houses in Mannanchery and sourced vital clues from former Kuruva gang members, which eventually led to the arrest of Santosh Selvan, a member of the notorious Kuruva gang.
All the houses where theft was reported had single entry and exit. The doors were wrenched open using a sharp tool; they were not broken or kicked open. Surveillance footage showed a vague mark on the suspect's chest. Seasoned cops identified it as the tattoo usually found on the chests of thieves of the Kuruva gang. The modus operandi was similar to that of the Kuruva gang.

"They often avoided high-walled houses with security. They stole gold ornaments worn by people and always targeted houses which were easy to enter and exit. They identified these houses during daytime," said a police officer associated with the probe.

The police formed teams who travelled to Theni and Tiruchirappalli in search of former gang members and those who had been jailed and released. After days of questioning and interviewing over 50 people from rural hamlets in Tamil Nadu, the police sourced vital information that a key gang member named Suresh was active in Kerala. Further probe led police to track down his location to Kundannoor. Another team was sent to the spot to verify his presence. The cops noticed temporary settlements of Tamil-speaking people who were engaged in selling fish.

The police team met with stiff resistance from the women of the settlement while Suresh was being handcuffed and taken to the police vehicle. It was a distraction that gave Santosh a chance to run away. "We had three theft cases reported in Mannanchery and Kuruva gang members were the suspects. We have got a match with the images from the CCTV visuals," said Tolson Joseph, SHO, Mannanchery.

Kuruva gang thieves seldom used mobile phones on the day of theft and for a few days after the theft. They smeared the body with oil and went for thefts with minimal wear. Armed with a single weapon to wrench open the door, they also used the same tool to attack anyone who came in their way, police said. They stayed in Kundannoor, posing as fish vendors.