Police in Odisha have arrested 12 alleged members of an interstate burglary gang and recovered gold and silver ornaments worth more than Rs 88 lakh, linking the group to 15 theft cases in Khurda and Nayagarh districts since May 2025.
The arrests followed coordinated raids and an investigation involving technical surveillance, intelligence gathering and analysis of the gang’s operating patterns, Khurda superintendent of police Smit Parmar said. The accused are from Khurda, Puri and Ganjam districts, according to police.
Of the 15 cases cracked, 13 were registered under the Tangi, Nachuni, Banapur and Balugaon police station limits in Khurda district. Two other cases were reported from Chandapur in neighbouring Nayagarh district, Parmar said.
Police said the gang targeted residential buildings and jewellery establishments, carrying out break-ins during late-night hours. The recovered valuables include around 500 grams of gold ornaments and 11 kg of silver jewellery. The recovery covers jewellery allegedly stolen in multiple incidents, police said.
The latest case attributed to the group involved a jewellery shop in Banapur. According to police, the incident took place during the early hours of October 28. Shop owner Niranjan Patra alleged that burglars broke through a rear wall measuring 10 inches in thickness before entering the premises.
The burglars allegedly took Rs 5 lakh in cash, around 400 grams of gold ornaments and nearly 13 kg of silver articles from the shop, Patra said. Police have not disclosed how much of the property from that specific incident has been recovered.
The operation involved close coordination among multiple police units. “Our teams analysed the modus operandi adopted by the gang, examined crime patterns and developed actionable intelligence. The operation involved close coordination among several police units,” Parmar said.
The arrests bring a police investigation into repeated break-ins across two districts into a wider examination of how the group selected targets and moved stolen property. The cases involved both homes and jewellery shops, placing residential security and commercial premises within the scope of the investigation.
Police are now conducting a financial investigation and examining whether the gang had links to similar burglary cases in neighbouring districts. Investigators are also trying to identify additional associates and recover valuables that remain missing. Further investigation is underway.
