The city police have busted a gang of three women from Mumbai, who posed as domestic help and stole valuables from the houses where they worked.
The gang, arrested and wanted in several cases in Mumbai, had recently shifted their operation to Bengaluru and had used social media platforms to make inroads into the city.
Aravind, a resident of Hennur, lodged a complaint on May 6 that a domestic help, Subbalakshmi, hailing from Dakshina Kannada district, had joined work at their house and within three days, she fled stealing 250 grams gold jewellery and 100 grams of silver coins.
Mr. Aravind had got her reference and contact on a Facebook group, ‘Refer House Maids, Bangalore’.
She even submitted an Aadhaar card in the name of Subbalakshmi, a resident of Dakshina Kannada district.
The helper’s mobile number and her visuals from CCTV cameras deployed near Mr. Aravind’s house led the Hennur police to Mumbai.
“The mobile number was registered in Mumbai and the person had lost his phone to a pickpocket one month ago,” the police said.
The photographs of the culprit had helped the police share it with the Mumbai police, who recognised her as a known offender, sources said.
However, the gang was at large. Technical investigation in Mumbai and Bengaluru, trailing them for weeks, led to their arrest recently.
The arrested have been identified as Priyanka Rajesh, 29, Mahadevi, 26, and Vanita Gaikwad, 37, all hailing from Mumbai.
Vanita was the person who joined Mr. Aravind’s house in the city posing as Subbalakshmi. She joined work on May 3 and fled on May 6 after stealing valuables from the house.
Vanita is a habitual offender and has over 30 cases of theft registered against her in Mumbai.
The gang used to roam the streets of Mumbai asking security guards if any flats needed domestic help, join work, and flee after stealing valuables.
The gang usually targeted upscale apartment complexes in Mumbai. However, owing to several cases being registered against them in Mumbai, they decided to move their operations to Bengaluru and used Facebook to gain references in the city, the police said.
