Kohima Police Crack Down on Major Burglary Ring, Arrest Key Suspect

Major Burglary Cases Solved in Kohima

Kohima, June 22: The Kohima Police have successfully resolved a series of 11 significant burglary incidents, including a recent theft of nearly Rs 1 crore from the Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) Office.

The burglaries, which have affected the city since August 2023, were traced back to a single suspect, Kekietuo, a 35-year-old resident of Kohima village, who was arrested on Friday night.

During a press conference at the Superintendent of Police (SP) office, Additional SP and PRO Soriso announced that the suspect has admitted to all 11 burglary offenses. The total estimated value of the stolen goods is around Rs 1.5 crores.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Soriso intensified their investigation following the break-in at the KMC office on June 3.

Utilizing advanced forensic methods, digital surveillance, and ground intelligence over the past two and a half weeks, the team identified unusual spending behaviors that led them to the suspect. They also found a vehicle associated with one of the crimes, which was traced back to the suspect through coordination with the Regional Transport Office (RTO).

Moreover, the SIT scrutinized financial transactions, monitored high-value purchases at various commercial outlets, and investigated land deals flagged by human intelligence.

In one notable case, a large cash transaction for a vehicle raised red flags. Once enough connections were established, the police apprehended the suspect, who confessed to the burglaries.

Authorities revealed that the suspect had worked for over 15 years as a driver in the Police Civil Engineering Department and was known to be very cautious and knowledgeable about investigative methods, complicating the investigation.

The burglaries targeted several institutions, including Baptist College, Kohima College, Oriental College, North Treasury Kohima, and various car showrooms. Police noted that each incident was meticulously planned, exploiting security weaknesses at different locations.

Significantly, these crimes spanned the jurisdictions of both the North and South Police Stations in Kohima.

To date, police have recovered approximately Rs 38 lakh in cash and 33 stolen items from the suspect's home. Additionally, 20 tools used in the burglaries were seized from a vehicle, along with two other vehicles.

The recovered items include torchlights, binoculars, a Czechoslovakian .22 rifle, a battery-powered drill, a chainsaw, a crowbar, hammer, clamp wrench, screwdriver, chisel, multi-tool, gloves, lithium batteries, and various personal belongings such as sneakers, jackets, masks, watches, bags, and keys.

Kohima Police are actively working to recover the remaining stolen items, with ongoing search operations based on leads from the suspect. Authorities are also exploring potential connections to other unreported cases.

Kekietuo remains in police custody as legal proceedings are underway.