A group of Romanians who had come to India on a 'looting holiday' are now cooling their heels in jail. After the seven-member gang landed in India on July 12, they struck in quick succession at various jewellery outlets and businesses in Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan in the span of a week, stealing diamonds, jewellery and cash amounting to over Rs 12 lakh. The ring was busted a week after their arrival in India

navodayatimes

The gang, which included four women, had arrived in India on July 12 on a tourist visa valid till September 2. The ring comprised Nistar (45), Vailuku Jainika Nikku (31), Vaidva Allen (20), Meeradalla Dumiju (34) Marigel Lorena (41), Jaitren Aayana (49) and Michal Shakilina (29). A team of Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) Faridabad Commissionerate arrested them when they were leaving Faridabad on July 19.

BCCL/representative image

All the seven accused are in the custody of Jaipur police pertaining to local jewellery shop heist. Soon after landing in India, they are learned to have hired a cab and headed towards Jaipur where they struck at a jewellery shop, making away with diamonds and gold jewellery. They went to Rewari after this and targeted another jewellery outlet running from shop-cum-residence.

BCCL/representative image

The gang then landed in Palwal on July 16 where they targeted a shop, followed by two shops in Jawahar Colony of Faridabad and one in Jhajjar district.

BCCL/representative image

"Our CIA team was chasing them following some inputs about their suspicious activities, and they were arrested from outer Faridabad. We first recovered the diamonds worth lakhs of rupees stolen from a Jaipur shop,'' said Saran police station SHO Manmohan Singh.

Explaining their modus operandi, Singh said Nistar and his wife Marigel would first approach the shopkeeper with two more of their group and divert their attention while the other members quickly picked up jewellery and anything they could gather. The show owners saw them as prospective buyers as they were foreigners, and did not suspect them.