Mumbai’s most-wanted housebreaker nabbed

A screengrab of CCTV footage that led to the accused’s arrest

One of Mumbai's most efficient housebreakers has been arrested by the Kalachowki police. More than 35 cases have been registered against the accused, Raees Shaikh, 34, who is known for breaking locks in five seconds flat. His modus operandi involves carrying out a recce of the area between midnight and 1 am," said a police officer. After confirming his target, he would break and enter between 3 am and 4 am," the officer added.

Raees Shaikh

The police said Shaikh would change his get-up before going about his work, and don a jacket, which would lend him a stout appearance According to police officials, the locks of eight flats at different societies were found broken in Abhyudaya Nagar on February 8. In total, about Rs 10,000 in cash was allegedly stolen from the homes.

When the police checked CCTV camera footage, a man in a jacket was seen with his face covered with a napkin. The Kalachowki police, on checking earlier records, found that in 2018, Shaikh had been arrested and his style of housebreaking was similar to that of the perpetrator.

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During the investigation, the police learnt that the accused had roamed about the area between 12 am and 1 am and had checked out houses that were locked. Shaikh allegedly began housebreaking around 3 am and completed his work an hour later.

A screengrab of CCTV footage that led to the accused's arrest

PSI Rajendra Chavan of the Kalachowki police station told mid-day, "On February 8, panic spread in the Abhyudaya Nagar after eight housebreaking incidents took place. We checked every CCTV camera's footage. We learnt that Shaikh had committed similar crimes in the same area in 2018. Earlier, he was residing at Antop Hill but we found that after February 8 he shifted to Malwani where he was residing with his wife."

"We nabbed him at his residence on Monday. We also come to know that his wife knew about his crimes. We recovered a popat pana (spanner) and screwdriver, which he uses for housebreaking. Many cases have been filed against the accused in various police stations in the city. We have arrested him under Section 380 (theft in dwelling house) of the Indian Penal Code. The accused figures prominently in the Mumbai Police's crime records. We also found he had been released from jail on February 7," he added.