The city police today arrested a 42-year-old man who was allegedly involved in several cases of theft of jewellery and idols from temples.
Santosh Kumar alias Ghanashyam Das was nabbed from Kurupam market area, a senior police official said.
Police recovered 17.4 kg of silver ornaments and 30 gm of gold jewellery from him.
Das, who hails from Nayagarh district of Odisha, had committed at least 50 thefts in the last two decades and was involved in a theft at a Jain shrine in Bengaluru in July 2007 where he decamped with jewellery worth Rs 7 crore and idols, said the deputy commissioner of police (south zone) T Ravi Kumar Murthy.
He had also committed theft at Kanaka Durga temple in Vijayawada, Arasavalli temple in Srikakulam and a few temples in the Vizianagaram district, the DCP said.
Das told police that he targeted temples because generally they do not have much security, said the officer.
To escape CCTV cameras, he wore a mask, but his image was captured by cameras at one of the temples which led to his arrest. Further probe is on.
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