CCTV nails laptop thieves in Ahmedabad

They had it all planned: From recce to distraction and a child accomplice, but what the gang didn’t take into account was the CCTV, which was the gang’s biggest undoing of a perfectly manoeuvered theft.

High quality CCTV camera at a petrol pump near Manav Mandir captured a gang including four adults and a minor stealing a laptop bag from a car after 10 minutes of planning and recce.

On Saturday evening, 56 year old Nikunj Raval, who works as a Company Secretary (CS) and lives in Pramukh Park, Naranpura, came to Bharat Petroleum’s pump opposite Manav Mandir near Helmet circle in his Maruti 800 car.

After refueling, he drove towards the air filling station. The attendant here was busy filling air in a Tata Sumo and so Raval had to wait in the queue for almost five minutes before his turn came at 8:15pm.

When his turn came, the attendant informed Raval that the rear wheel of his car is punctured; Raval was surprised and stepped out to check. After talking to the attendant, he took his car to a mechanic’s shop nearby, where he realized that his bag having a laptop worth Rs 15,000 was missing.

Vastrapur police filed his complaint and acquired the CCTV footage of the petrol pump on Sunday. The footage clearly depicts a gang of four adults and a teenage boy (about 10-12 years old) engaged in a coordinated effort to steal the bag from Raval’s car as he stepped out to check the puncture.

The flat tire was a result of the gang’s effort as two members pierced the rear wheel with a sharp object.

The footage also suggests the possible involvement of a Maruti van, which was in queue behind Raval’s car. The puncture was done taking cover of the van. To hide their act from other cars in the queue, a third member pretending to be talking on the phone, emerged from nowhere and blocked their view.

Meanwhile, the fourth member was keeping an eye outside the petrol pump.

When Raval stepped out of car to check the flat tire, he accidentally left the door open. Taking advantage, the boy reached for the driver’s seat and smartly picked up the laptop. He then slowly started walking towards the road and was soon followed by the rest of the gang members. Vastrapur police commenced investigation.