Copper Theft – Three Women Held After Vasai Construction Site Robbery
Copper Theft – Three women have been arrested in connection with the alleged theft of copper cables from an industrial construction site in Vasai, located in Maharashtra’s Palghar district. Police said the stolen material was valued at more than ₹1 lakh and was taken from a location where a power house project was being developed.
Container lock allegedly forced open
The incident reportedly occurred during the night between June 18 and June 19. Investigators said a container placed at the construction site was broken into after its lock was allegedly damaged. Multi-strand copper cables worth ₹1,08,784 were reported missing from the container.
A representative associated with the construction project later approached Naigaon Police with a complaint. Based on the information provided, officers registered a case involving house-breaking and theft and began examining possible leads from the surrounding area.
Extensive CCTV review leads police to suspects
Police relied heavily on surveillance footage while investigating the case. Officers reviewed recordings from nearly 120 CCTV cameras installed across the locality, including routes around the construction site and nearby access points.
The footage helped investigators identify possible movements linked to the theft, police said. Following the technical review and other information gathered during the inquiry, teams traced three women from Bhiwandi in neighbouring Thane district.
The women, aged between 21 and 32, were detained for questioning before being formally arrested. Police have not disclosed further details about their background or whether they were linked to any other theft cases.
Copper wires and additional items recovered
During questioning, the women allegedly admitted their role in the theft, according to police. Investigators later recovered the copper cables along with other materials connected to the case.
The total value of the recovered property has been estimated at ₹1,12,063. Police said the recovery included the stolen wires and other items seized as part of the ongoing investigation.
The arrests were made on Sunday. Officers are continuing to verify the sequence of events, including whether the accused acted alone or received assistance from others. The investigation is also expected to examine whether construction sites in the area require stronger security arrangements, particularly for valuable electrical equipment and metal materials.
Thane resident reports online banking fraud
In a separate case, police in Thane district have registered a cyber fraud complaint after a 52-year-old man allegedly lost more than ₹5 lakh. The complainant stated that individuals posing as representatives of a piped gas supply company contacted him regarding what they claimed was an unpaid gas bill.
Police said the calls were made between June 19 and June 21. The victim was reportedly sent a link through WhatsApp and was asked to complete a payment-related process.
Malicious link allegedly enabled phone access
Investigators said the man clicked on the link, after which the suspected fraudsters allegedly gained remote access to his mobile phone. They are also accused of forwarding his calls and accessing sensitive banking and credit card information stored or used through the device.
According to the complaint, several transactions were carried out, resulting in an alleged loss of ₹5,06,256.17. The victim reported the matter through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal before approaching the police.
Kalwa Police have registered a case against unidentified individuals and have started an investigation. Authorities are examining transaction records, communication details and the digital trail linked to the WhatsApp message.
Police have advised residents to avoid opening unfamiliar payment links, especially those received through messaging platforms. Customers are encouraged to verify billing concerns directly with service providers through official customer-care channels rather than responding to unsolicited calls or messages.