Crime Watch 'Theft recorded high in a week'

Kathmandu, Dec 20-Twenty-two cases of theft were recorded at the Kathmandu District Police Office (KDPO) last week (December 7-15).Pointing at the rise in the number of theft cases in the district of Kathmandu, Khadga Khatri, said looters might have resorted to petty thefts Himalaya times reports.

According to the KDPO, five cases were reported on December 15, and four on December 14. Likewise, three cases of theft were reported on December 13 and five on December 12.

Khatri said four shops were reported looted in Old Baneshwor on December 11. While no reports of theft were received on December 10 and 9, a house in Bijulibajar was burgled on December 8 and a mobile repairing shop on December 7.

Same as,Police have arrested members of a gang involved in mugging tourists and looting cash and goods from them in the jungles of Sarangkot and Pumdibhumdi area of Kaski.

The men were arrested on December 9, the District Police Office (DPO), Kaski, said at a press conference organised here today.The arrested include Tsering Punchowk Lama, Sondruk Gurung, Sana Singh Gurung,Jit Maan Gurung and Lal Bahadur Karki.All the five hail from Gorkha district, police said.

The gang had for the past couple of months been looting cash and other valuables, including cameras from tourists visiting Sarangkot and the Baudha Stupa areas of Pokhara.

The DPO had mobilised a five-member team of security personnel in the area to nab the gang.
Plainclothes security personnel arrested two of the gang members on December 9 as they were looting a tourist. Three other members were arrested with the help of information given by the arrested duo, the DPO said.

Police have also arrested some persons buying stolen cameras from them.The arrested looters said they sold the stolen cameras for anything between Rs 500 and 2,000. The men were working as porters and trekking guides.

Superintendent of Police, Rabi Raj Shrestha, said security personnel were deployed after the District Police Office received complaints from tourists. The arrested will be charged of robbery and theft, police said.Five security personnel who arrested the gang members will be awarded Rs 1,000 each, the DPO said.