Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - HT Navi Mumbai Live
Don’t leave cash, valuables inside parked car: Police
NAVI MUMBAI: With the increase of car break- in cases in the city, Navi Mumbai police have appealed to the residents not to leave cash, laptop and other valuables inside their cars when they are not around.
Just four days ago, some unidentified people broke into a car and stole Rs4 lakh and one laptop from it at Belapur. The police are still clueless about the culprits.
“Two months ago, a businessman from Kharghar lost Rs16 lakh at APMC market. He had gone to a nearby hotel to eat something, leaving the cash in his car. When he returned after half-an-hour, he found that one window glass of his car was broken, and the cash was missing from it,” said a police officer requesting anonymity from the APMC police station.
Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Suresh Mengade said: “A majority of the laptop theft cases registered this year is related to car break- ins. We have detected many of them, but the residents should not take any chance. They should carry their valuables with them even if they go away for a few minutes.”
In May 2014, thieves stole Rs12 lakh from a car in Nerul.
The victim, Sanjay Koli went to see a flat leaving cash in his car.
Just one month before that, Rs15 lakh was stolen f rom another car in Vashi.
None of these cases have been solved so far.
“The culprits also break the window glasses to steal the music systems. These gangs keep roaming on the roads at night and steal the audio system or vehicle parts whenever they get a chance,” Mengade said.
“Several housing societies in Navi Mumbai do not have sufficient parking lots. So the residents have to park their cars either on roads or in public grounds. Thus, they easily fall prey to car breaker as well as car thieves,” said a police officer from Rabale police station.
“Just a few months ago we ar rested t hree people and recovered a total of 44 music systems from their possession. We think, other such gangs are still operating in the city. Therefore, the resident should be cautious for their own safety,” he added.