KATHMANDU: Nepal Police's Metropolitan Crime Division said it has busted a gang that stole electrical accessories and hardware worth millions of rupees from at least seven shops in the Kathmandu Valley

Police revealed that the three suspects, all of them Indian nationals, used to spend the money that they would get after selling the booty on gambling at casinos in Kathmandu.

The trio hail from Bihar and currently live in the Kathmandu Valley, running the business of scrap collection.

Mantu Kumar Jaiswal (22), a resident of Purvi Champaran, is said to have masterminded the heists. He used to identify the targets and break into the shops in the early mornings before ferrying the booty on pickup vans and trucks on the pretext of transferring goods.

Naresh Chaudhary (36) of Purvi Chamaparan and Ratnesh Kumar Chaudhary of Sitamarhi are Jaiswal's partners in the crime, according to the MCD. They allegedly bought the stolen valuables from Jaiswal.

The trio were arrested from the Valley yesterday and handed over to the Metropolitan Police Range for further investigation and action today.

Police's preliminary investigation revealed that the gang struck at seven shops in Bhotebahal, Bhagawatibahal, Kalanki and Chabahil and stole properties worth Rs 14.028 million.

Jaiswal would recce the targets and break padlocks at nighttime on the eve of raiding the shops in the wee hours. He would then take the booty on hired vehicles to Balkhu and hand over it to the Chaudhary duo who would take the valuables to their godown.

The thieves used to extract copper and other metals from the electric cables and other accessories and sell the metals.

Police said they seized 1282 kg of utility cables, 93 sets of faucets, four sets of wall mixer, 25 sets of various pieces of faucets and one singing bowl that weighed 1.92 gram, among other accessories, from their possession.