mumbai

Updated: Aug 27, 2019 15:40 IST

A 25-year-old man has been arrested for stealing gold and silver worth Rs. 2.5 lakh from a car from Mumbai’s Wadala area last year, police said on Tuesday.

Mohammad Anis Rayan, a resident of Dharavi, is a habitual offender and there are several cases against him in Matunga police station, police officials said. Rayan, who makes a living by making banners and hoardings, is an expert in breaking open car door locks, they added.

Police said Rakesh Pawan, who was transferred to Mumbai from Bengaluru and was looking for a flat on rent, parked his car at Lodha Society in New Cuffe Parade on August 11, 2018.

Rayan, police said, was standing there and as soon as Pawan went inside the society he broke the car’s lock and stole the bag with gold and silver.

A case of theft was registered in Wadala TT police station and police checked the CCTV footage in the vicinity and identified the accused but could not trace him.

The victim approached senior officials on several occasions and the case was then transferred to the crime branch’s Unit 4 to trace the culprit, said police inspector Sandesh Rewale of the unit.

“We alerted informants and got details about the accused. He was nabbed in Dharavi area on Monday wee hours and during questioning, he revealed the truth,” said Rewale.

“He was produced in the court and remanded in police custody till August 30,” he added.