What began as a midnight heist targeting luxury taps in Nagpur ended in the lockup for three youths, who made away with costly sanitary fittings exceeding Rs 11 lakh in prices to purchase iPhones for their respective girlfriends, the police reported on Friday. The accused believed the plan would prove fruitful in fulfilling expensive demands, but ultimately culminated in their arrest after the cops hunted them down by means of an extensive network of CCTV cameras across the city.

Trio targets warehouse in midnight heist

According to police, the incident took place on the intervening night of May 27 and 28 at a warehouse belonging to Rahul Ceramics Private Ltd in Nagpur’s Kalamna area. The cops said the accused planned the burglary meticulously and gained access to the premises by cutting through the tin roof on the second floor. Once they sneaked inside, they allegedly stole designer agricultural and household faucets, premium sanitary fittings and other valuable items worth Rs 11.39 lakh.

The theft came to light when the owner of the warehouse, Rahul Jaichand Brahma visited the premises and discovered that a portion of the tin roof had been cut open. He suspected a break-in and subsequently approached the police to lodge a complaint.

Cops skim through CCTV footage, nab accused

The police registered an FIR and launched a probe, sifting through footage from more than 25 CCTV cameras installed across the city. It helped the cops trace the movements of the accused and eventually apprehend them.

Once nabbed, the accused were identified as Irfan Ali alias Immu Ramzan Ali, a resident of Yashodharanagar, and two other minors. Post-detention, the police questioned them regarding the theft and they eventually confessed to committing the burglary.

iPhone demand triggers crime

What followed next left the investigating police personnel astonished. The police revealed the accused told them that they had been motivated by a desire to arrange funds for purchasing expensive smartphones. According to police, the girlfriend of one of the minors involved in the crime had been mounting pressure on him for an iPhone as a gift. Unable to arrange the money through legitimate means, he allegedly hatched a plan with his friends to burgle the warehouse and sell the stolen items in lieu of money.

The group believed the proceeds from the theft would suffice to purchase the premium smartphones.

Stolen goods seized by cops

Sub-inspector at Kalamna Police Station, Santosh Kumar Ramlod, while spilling the beans on the case details, said the accused admitted to the crime to raise money for buying iPhones for their girlfriends. After the disclosure, the police seized the stolen sanitary fittings and other goods from their possession.