Police bust organised gang, recover stolen telecom and power equipment worth over Rs 1 crore

JAMMU, Jan 20: In a major breakthrough against organised crime, Jammu and Kashmir Police have dismantled a criminal gang involved in large-scale theft of telecom infrastructure and an armed robbery at a power utility store in Jammu, recovering stolen property worth more than Rs 1 crore and solving two high-profile cases.

Addressing a press conference at Police Station Gandhi Nagar, Dr Ajay Sharma, Senior Superintendent of Police, Jammu South, said the gang had been operating across several parts of the Jammu division and was targeting high-value infrastructure material for illegal resale. Seven persons, including a juvenile, have been arrested in connection with the cases.

One of the cases pertains to the theft of expensive telecom equipment from a BTS mobile tower in the Gandhi Nagar area. The incident, reported by a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police on behalf of a private telecom infrastructure company, had taken place during the intervening night of October 6, 2025, and led to disruption of mobile services in the locality. Acting on the complaint, Police Station Gandhi Nagar registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and launched a detailed technical and field investigation.

The second case relates to a daring armed robbery at a Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited divisional store at Nanak Nagar on the night of December 19 and 20, 2025. According to police, a group of six to seven individuals armed with sharp-edged weapons forcibly entered the store and looted a large quantity of electrical material meant for power infrastructure projects. A separate FIR under provisions of the BNS and the Arms Act was registered, and investigation was initiated immediately.

During the course of investigation, police established a clear link between the two cases and uncovered a well-organised network involved in theft, transportation, and disposal of stolen government and private property. Acting on specific inputs, multiple police teams conducted raids at various locations under the supervision of senior officers and arrested seven accused, including one juvenile.

The arrested persons have been identified as individuals hailing from different parts of Jammu, Doda, Bhaderwah, Samba, and adjoining areas, indicating the wide operational spread of the gang. On the basis of disclosures made by the accused, police recovered a substantial quantity of stolen material.

The recovered items include telecom equipment such as baseband units, RUS units, and air harmony units valued at around Rs 70 lakh. In addition, a large stock of electrical material including conductors, control cables, pin insulators, fittings, electric cables, and shattering plates was seized. Police also recovered two sharp-edged weapons allegedly used in the robbery and three vehicles employed for transporting the stolen goods.

Dr Ajay Sharma said the total value of the recovered property exceeds Rs 1 crore, dealing a significant blow to organised criminal activity targeting critical infrastructure in the region. He added that further investigation is underway to trace additional accomplices and to verify whether the arrested accused are involved in other similar cases.

Police officials said the successful detection of the cases highlights the effectiveness of coordinated investigation, technical surveillance, and ground-level intelligence in tackling organised crime and protecting essential public infrastructure.