Mangaluru : The city north police have successfully arrested three persons in connection to the Bhavanthi Street Arun Jewellers theft case that occurred within the station limits on the night of September 2.

The arrested are identified as Muhthasimu CM alias Taslim (39), a resident of Kerala, Wali Mohammed Safi (45) and Mohammed Azim Khuram (25), both residents of Kabul in Afghanistan. Two more accused identified as Kunhi Ahmed from Kerala and Farid, an Afghani are on the run.

The main accused in the case is Muhthasimu CM alias Taslim who also has 10 to 12 cases registered against him at Bekal and Kasargod police stations. Besides, he also has links with underworld elements as far as Dubai. Meanwhile, the two arrested Afghanis have cases registered against them under the illegal arms act in Delhi.

Reportedly, the accused gained access into the jewellery shop through its rear and cut through the safe locker of the store using a gas drill and stole gold and silver jewelry. Apparently, the accused used equipment like advanced welding machine, oxygen cylinder and LPG cylinder in order to break the safe locker of the jewellery shop.
The stolen valuables included 3.43 kg in gold worth Rs 1,02, 95,270 and 20.66 kg of silver worth Rs 9,11,600. The police have recovered 2.753 kg gold bars and jewels worth Rs 9 lac from the arrested accused.

The arrested accused were produced in the court on Sep 24 and have been remanded to police custody. As two among the arrested were Afghanis, a report about the arrest has been forwarded to the deputy secretary, ministry of external affairs, New Delhi for transmitting the same to the embassy of Afghanistan as per protocol.

The case was cracked by a special police team formed under the supervision of police commissioner Dr P S Harsha, DCP crime and traffic Laxmi Ganesh, ACP central Bhaskar V, PI Shiva Prakash Naik, CCB PSI Kabbalraj, PI Govindraj and PSIs Pradeep, Sundar from North Police station, staff of CCB and ACP central squad, North Police station.