5-member robber gang held: Booty worth `20 lakh seized

Visakhapatnam: In a major breakthrough, the city police arrested five persons who were involved in major crimes and seized gold ornaments and silver articles worth Rs 20 lakh from their possession late on Sunday night. City Commissioner of Police B Sivadhar Reddy told the media on Monday morning that the police arrested Boddapu Babu Rao, Setti Appala Raju, Yerramsetty Appalaraju and Pilla Prasad on the intervening night of Sunday at Jodugullapalem and another accused Goriputi Apparao at Pendurti. The police seized nearly half-a-kg gold ornaments and 18 kg silver articles worth Rs 20 lakh from them. The value of the property stolen was estimated at Rs 30 lakh, the Commissioner of Police said. An old coin collection box and two auto-rickshaws, which were used for committing the offences, were also seized. Boddapu Babu Rao was a native of Pedapalli village in Yalamanchili mandal. He was regularly committing house break-ins and theft of gold ornaments and silver articles from temples. He was involved in several cases under Anakapalli, Kasimkota and Chodavaram police station limits of Visakhapatnam district and Kakinada, Rajahmundry and Pithapuram police stations of East Godavari district. Yerramsetty Appalaraju and Pilla Prasad committed 24 offences, including temple thefts, in the surrounding areas of Arilova, III Town Police Station limits, Kancharapalem, PM Palem, Pendurti, Bheemili, Air Port Zone, IV Town Police Station limits and Anandapuram. Setti Appalaraju, Yerramsetty Appalaraju and Pilla Prasad were auto drivers and they were associated with Babu Rao in committing offences. Goriputi Apparao, also an auto driver, helped them in disposing of the gold ornaments and silver articles. Mr Sivadhar Reddy said that the accused committed offences by travelling in two auto-rickshaws. They committed offences every two or three days. He rewarded the police personnel who arrested the accused. DCP P Viswaprasad and Additional DCP S Varadarajulu were present.