Crime: Police detained four men involved in about 30 burglary cases in Thimphu.

The suspects stole items worth about Nu 1.5 million, including LED televisions, laptops, iPads, cameras and jewellery, among others.

Most of the stolen items were recovered from the suspects.

On July 25, a resident of Taba called and told police at around 3pm that his apartment had been robbed. A burglar had broken the apartment’s main door with a blunt object and had stolen gold ornaments and cash.

On the same day, a 26-year-old woman was arrested from Changzamtog after a tip-off that the woman was seen selling jewellery at a jewellery shop in the town. The owner of a jewellery shop above the old taxi parking in the town had purchased gold ornaments from the lady for Nu 11,000. The complainant identified the ornaments as the ones stolen from his house.

CCTV footage showed a woman coming out of shop with a boy. They walked towards Chubachu at around 7:30pm.

Police later learnt that the woman used to run a bar in Chubachu.

The woman told police that she bought the ornaments at around 7pm from her friend for Nu 5,000.

“She said she sold the ornament to clear her electricity bill,” a police official said.

Her friend, a 28-year-old man from Trashigang was arrested from Changzamtog. Upon interrogation, the man confessed to the crime and revealed his three accomplices, which included his 25-year-old brother. A 24-year-old man from Dagana and a 37-year-old from Thimphu were arrested from Changjiji and Serbithang. The third suspect was arrested on August 1.

The Police official said that the suspects moved around the city in a vehicle and broke into houses that they found locked. Police are yet to seize the vehicle.

Police advised residents and house owners in the city to have inter-locking system in their houses because in all the cases the suspects broke into houses that did not have inter-locking system and CCTV cameras.

“Three of them steal while one is kept outside to watch for people,” the official said.

Dechen Tshomo