Banjara dacoit gang busted in Odisha; 4 arrested with valuables worth over Rs 36 lakh

Dhenkanal Town Police arrested four members of a Banjara dacoit gang, marking a major breakthrough in a series of theft cases previously reported from different parts of the town. The arrested are natives of Bihar, police sources confirmed on Tuesday.

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During the operation, police seized gold ornaments worth around Rs 35 lakh, silver jewellery valued at approximately Rs 1.5 lakh, and about 15 kilograms of ganja from the possession of the accused. Investigators revealed that the gang was involved in house break-ins across several localities, targeting homes and stealing valuables.

Based on intelligence inputs, police conducted raids and successfully detained the suspects. Officials said further investigation is underway to identify possible links with other criminal networks and to verify their involvement in similar cases in the region.

Dhenkanal Police stated that efforts are underway to ensure public safety and to curb organised crime in the district.

“They (the Bihari accused) have been residing in temporary and polythene sheet-thatched houses on the outskirts of Dhenkanal town, on the pretext of selling different toys. The gang members are basically from Bihar. They used to stay at a particular place for 5-7 days and sell toys during the day hours. They recce particularly the locked and isolated houses,” Dhenkanal Additional SP (ASP), Suryamani Pradhan, said.

“After the fall of night, the Banjaras barge into the houses, break open the almirahs, and decamp with the valuables,” the senior cop stated, while speaking to mediapersons.