Pune, 11 May 2026: The Wanowrie Police have arrested nine members of an interstate gang involved in the theft of underground BSNL copper cables from Pune and several other cities across India.
The accused allegedly posed as municipal workers and carried out the thefts using cranes and heavy vehicles during late-night hours.
The gang was caught in the Hadapsar Industrial Area around 1:30 am while allegedly extracting BSNL copper cables from an underground drainage line near Honeywell Company. Dressed in reflective jackets and helmets, the accused created the impression that official civic work was underway to avoid suspicion.
The arrested accused have been identified as Aslam Sagir Khan and Salman Idris Malik from Delhi; Arif Bundukhan Khan, Nabi Mohammad Shan Mohammad, Anis Ansari Mohammad Giasuddin, and Shoaib Haroon Khan from Uttar Pradesh; Naresh Kumar Shrishivcharan from Haryana; and Afaq Ansari Rafiq Ansari along with Pravin Dadasaheb Bagul from Hadapsar.
Police officials received information that a group was using a crane to pull out cables in the industrial area. Acting on the tip-off, a team led by Police Sub-Inspector Alfaz Sheikh conducted a raid and detained all nine accused from the spot.
During the investigation, police found that two local men from Hadapsar had questioned the gang while the theft was taking place. The accused allegedly paid them money to avoid interference and continue the operation.
Police have seized BSNL copper cables worth ₹34.80 lakh along with a crane, truck, and other equipment, taking the total value of seized property to around ₹80.70 lakh.
Investigators revealed that the gang followed a well-planned method to execute the thefts. They allegedly rented cranes, opened drainage covers, and pulled out old underground copper cables before cutting them into smaller pieces and transporting them by truck to Delhi for sale.
The police investigation has also linked the gang to similar cable theft cases reported in Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nagpur, Kanpur, and Amritsar. Officials suspect that more cases could be solved following the arrests.
A few days earlier, a similar BSNL cable theft was reported from Pune’s Karvenagar area in Kothrud. Police believe the same interstate racket may be behind multiple such incidents across Maharashtra and other states.