Rajasthan Copper Thieves Used Google to Target Solar Plants
A gang of copper thieves in Rajasthan, India has been caught after police discovered they were using Google to target solar plants and transformers for theft.
The gang, which is suspected of committing around 50-60 similar thefts across the state, was busted on Sunday after a special team formed by Jaipur Rural superintendent of police Hanuman Prasad Meena analyzed call detail records and examined footage from over 150 CCTV cameras in Govindgarh and adjoining areas.
The gang's modus operandi involved searching for large solar plants on Google before surveying potential targets at night, when they would steal copper wires and plates from the transformers and solar plants. The stolen material was then sold to scrap dealers.
Police arrested two men, Om Prakash alias Lala Bavariya (25) and Rajesh Bavariya (20), and detained a minor allegedly involved in the thefts. A scrap dealer, Hasan alias Mahmood (31), was also arrested for purchasing the stolen material.