From Army training to crime trail:Drug-addict criminals commit highway burglaries; entire gang arrested from Punjab

‘When the money runs out, crime begins.’ This was the chilling modus operandi of an interstate gang whose thefts were driven entirely by drug addiction. The Cantt police station in Guna has cracked a major burglary case in Dwarkadhish Colony, arresting three members of the gang while one accused remains absconding. The arrested accused belong to Punjab and Bihar, and police say the gang operated across multiple states to fund their drug habit. Theft in deserted house triggered panic Cash, gold and silver worth Rs 70,000 stolen The thieves broke open wardrobes and scattered household items, making off with around Rs 70,000 in cash, two mangalsutras, a silver Lakshmi-Kuber idol, two small gold chains and four gold rings. Special team formed, investigation begins Taking the incident seriously, a special investigation team was constituted under the leadership of Cantt police station in-charge TI Anoop Kumar Bhargava, under the supervision of CSP Priyanka Mishra. The team examined CCTV footage from the area, analyzed call detail records, gathered technical inputs and activated informants. Accused identified, raids conducted in four states From aspiring soldier to notorious thief ‘As soon as money ran out, we planned theft’ During interrogation, the accused disclosed that all gang members became addicted to drugs, including chitta. Whenever their money ran out, the four would take a car and drive along National Highways, searching for deserted houses or shops. After conducting reconnaissance, they would break locks, steal cash, gold, silver and valuables, and flee immediately to avoid suspicion. Theft-to-drug supply chain After committing thefts, the gang would head straight to Mandsaur and Neemuch regions of Madhya Pradesh, known for opium cultivation and poppy husk availability. They sold stolen items and purchased poppy husk (doda chura), which they transported to Punjab and sold to fund their addiction. Once the money dried up, they would plan another theft. December 1–2 crime trail reconstructed On December 1, the gang left Ludhiana in car number PB 13 BJ 5253, heading towards Mandsaur. On December 2 at around 10:30 am, their vehicle crossed Kolaras toll plaza in Shivpuri district on NH-46. They stopped for tea near Do Khamba Naka on Guna bypass, where they planned the burglary. Parking the car, they walked into Dwarkadhish Colony, spotted Jugal Kishore Thakur’s locked house, broke the lock, and committed the theft. They then returned to the bypass and drove towards Mandsaur. From there, they purchased poppy husk in Rajgarh district and returned to Ludhiana via the Kota Highway, Jaipur, and Delhi. CCTV breakthrough, national-level coordination The accused were captured on CCTV cameras during the theft. Police shared their photographs in a national-level WhatsApp group of constables. One accused was identified based on a T-shirt by a contact in Jhansi, which helped police trace the entire gang with assistance from Bihar Police. History of crimes across states Police records show the arrested accused are notorious interstate criminals with multiple cases registered in Jhansi (Sipri Bazar, Kotwali), Dausa (Rajasthan), Dugri police station (Ludhiana), and other locations in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh. They also confessed to: Police statement Guna CSP Priyanka Mishra confirmed that the gang committed thefts solely to fuel drug addiction and has admitted involvement in multiple cases. Efforts are ongoing to arrest the absconding accused.