Two held in Karnataka for stealing valuables of foreign tourists in Goa through house break-ins

PTI, Apr 22, 2022, 10:01 AM IST

Panaji: Goa police claimed to have busted an inter-state gang of burglars with the arrest of two persons from neighbouring Karnataka, who were allegedly targeting foreigners, especially in the North Goa tourist belt.

The accused duo, Lathif Khan (28) and K S Azeez (46), was arrested in Karnataka on Thursday, a police official said.

Pernem police in Goa said that a number of incidents of house break-in and theft had occurred in the last two months in areas including Ashwem, Morjim, Mandrem and Arambol.

As per the complaints, unidentified persons used to target foreign tourists and steal their valuable items, like laptops, digital cameras, mobile phones and cash, a police spokesperson said.

“The incidents had created fear in the mind of tourists and disturbed peace in the nearby coastal areas. Pernem police were continuously trying to track down and nab the culprits, however they used to change their location,” he said.

During the investigation, police received inputs that the accused hailed from Kerala and Karnataka.

“Based on the information, Goa police with the help of their counterparts in Karnataka and Kerala, arrested the two accused from Karnataka,” he said.

During their interrogation, the accused told the police that they used to commit theft by breaking the lock of the main door of houses or by gaining entry through windows at night. After the crime, they used to return to Karnataka and Kerala, police said.