The shop in Sonari where the theft took place. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, June 22: An unidentified gang sneaked into a mobile phone store, a stone’s throw from Sonari police station, and cleaned out an entire stock of brand new gadgets in the wee hours today.

The smart thieves instead of breaking into the shop, a risky operation that could be noisy enough to invite immediate attention, dismantled the asbestos roof for easy entry. Owner of the shop Anil Gupta said they took away 25 phones worth around Rs 60,000.

A resident of Panchavati Nagar in Sonari, Gupta downed shutters around 10 o’clock yesterday. At 9.30 this morning, he opened his shop to find the lock of the glass cabinet inside broken and the cellphones missing. However, they did not touch other valuable items, including a CD player.

Gupta said he also found some tools for cutting wire, which was perhaps left behind by the gang in a hurry. “My shop is located in a congested marketplace, 300 yards from Sonari police station. I never thought I would be a target,” he said, adding that the gadgets worth over Rs 60,000 were not insured.

Sub-inspector of Sonari police station Lalit Kumar, who visited the crime scene, said the thieves were local residents. “The precision with which the roof was removed for entry suggests that the gang was well aware of every corner of the shop. Hence, we suspect they are local hoodlums.” He also pointed out that the loot was the handiwork of a gang and not one person because there were multiple footprints on the floor of the shop. He added that the stolen gadgets were of both Chinese and Indian make.

An FIR has been lodged against unidentified persons based on Gupta’s statement.