Kolkata: Cops have uncovered a growing trend in and around Kolkata where chain snatchers and thieves are pawning stolen jewellery using fabricated stories about family emergencies to evade detection.
The accused are not selling them off as jewellers have become averse to buying undocumented gold. Neither are the criminals putting them in gold loan firms like before, fearing they might get traced. The revelation comes following recent arrests in the Lake Town, Salt Lake, and Chetla areas, where cops found criminals deliberately avoiding traditional gold buyers who might alert authorities.
"These thieves have developed sophisticated methods to dispose of stolen items," said a Bidhannagar detective department sleuth who is leading the investigation. "They're also increasingly turning to local moneylenders rather than established jewellery stores."
In a recent case, police arrested a house cleaner for stealing three gold chains from a Lake Town residence. While two chains were recovered directly from the suspect, police traced the third to a local pawnbroker, to whom the thief had fabricated a story about a sick relative needing urgent medical care.
"The suspects are specifically targeting informal moneylenders," a police officer explained. "This makes recovery more challenging, but not impossible."