In a significant breakthrough, the Patan police have arrested four members of an infamous Iranian gang responsible for a series of thefts in local jewellery shops. The operation took place in the Soniwad area of Patan city, where the gang targeted gold and silver shops. The police seized goods worth over ₹10 lakh from the suspects.
The incident began when two unknown individuals entered the ‘Maa Gauri Jewellers,’ owned by Nileshkumar Manorbhai Patel. They inquired about jewellery and, under the pretense of examining the items, stole gold earrings worth ₹3,24,000 and fled the scene. A case was registered at the Patan city ‘A’ Division police station.
Upon investigation, police learned that the gang’s leaders, Aliraja and Mosin Ali, had promised each member ₹25,000 for their participation in the thefts. The gang operated by leaving their mobile phones at home and using new phones and SIM cards during their criminal activities. They parked two vehicles, an i20 car and a motorcycle, near the target location. Mosin Ali and Aliraja would ride the motorcycle to commit the theft. After stealing, they would return and transfer the goods to the car before leaving the scene separately. After identifying their next target, they would call in the other four members to execute the plan.
To solve the case, the local crime branch (LCB) formed various teams and conducted technical and human-source investigations. They reviewed CCTV footage from the Netram project in Patan, which captured two suspects fleeing on a motorcycle with registration number GJ-16-DJ-1460.
Further intelligence led the police to a tip-off regarding suspicious individuals in the vicinity of Ranikivav on the Sujanipur Sabjilwala Road, driving the same motorcycle and a car with registration number MH-14-GN-5005.
Upon investigation, the police found four individuals matching the description. During questioning, the suspects could not provide satisfactory answers and were taken to the LCB office for further interrogation. They confessed to being part of a gang of six members, all residents of Karnataka, who had come to Gujarat specifically to commit theft. They admitted to stealing from a jewellery shop in the Kumbharwad area of Vadodara on August 1, 2025, and another theft in Patan on August 2, 2025.
The arrested suspects include Afridi Sherubeg Ijjatali Beg (around 28 years old), Javed Ali Musali Rayat Ali Sheikh (around 30), Ali Bhagwan Jailani Bhagwan (around 20), and Nawab Ali Mansur Ali Gulab Ali Syed (around 55), all originally from Bidar, Karnataka. Two other main suspects, Aliraja alias Bittu Laluwali Muslim and Mosin Ali Parvez Ali, are still at large, and efforts to locate them continue.
The police have confiscated items valued at ₹10,09,300 from the suspects, including 20 gold earrings (44.96 grams) worth ₹3,80,000, 13 gold bangles (23.760 grams) valued at ₹1,66,300, three mobile phones worth ₹20,500, a dongle valued at ₹2,500, copies of Aadhaar cards (four), and the two vehicles (one motorcycle and one car) valued at ₹4,40,000. Further investigations are underway to ensure all members of the gang are apprehended.