CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) Shankar Jiwal on Saturday congratulated a Coimbatore City police team for arresting the mastermind behind 78 burglaries in the state. 

Last month, the Virudhunagar police had arrested members of the gang but the kingpin, M Moorthy (33) of Madurai, had evaded arrest.

Moorth and his accomplices were involved in a knifepoint robbery at a house in Peelamedu. He along with three others had intruded into the house of Sabir Tayabwak (66) on the night of February 6 this year by breaking open the front door with an iron rod, threatening the inmates under knife point, and robbing gold jewellery worth 29 sovereigns, 2 diamond necklaces, a pair of diamond ear studs, cash worth Rs 10 lakh, and 2 watches from the house.

Peelamedu Police registered a case in the matter, and on July 9, a special team secured Moorthy and his associate M Amsarajan (31) from Chinniyampalayam near Coimbatore.

Police recovered 62 sovereigns of gold jewels, a car, and three two-wheelers from the accused. 

Moorthy and his associates, Amsarajan, S Manoj Kumar (31), K Sudhakar (32), Suresh Kumar, and Ramprakash have 78 cases registered against them across Tamil Nadu.