Ritchie Street theft: Three teens held, 63 smartphones recovered

CHENNAI: City Police arrested three teenagers including two juveniles in connection with serial break-ins into shops on Ritchie street area off Anna Salai, the city’s electronic goods hub, during the early hours of Friday and escaped with several lakhs worth gadgets.

Police said that they arrested the accused within 12 hours of the burglary.

One of the arrested is a 19-year-old, Murugan of Palavakkam while the other two are fifteen year olds.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the burglars had targeted only I-phones and smartphones. Police said that the burglars first broke into a shop in Nambi trades complex and then on two shops on Wallace road and two shops in Ritchie street. Apart from I-phones, smartwatches and phone accessories were also stolen from the shops.

A team from Chintadripet police station rushed to the scene on information and conducted preliminary investigations.

Police have recovered CCTV footage from the shops in which a youth, dressed in yellow t-shirt and shorts and wearing a mask is seen spending considerable time in the shops, selecting his haul, before escaping.

Police said that they have recovered 63 smartphones, five smartwatches and a two wheeler from them.