Patna, Feb. 8: Recoveries by police are aplenty when it comes to seizing mobile phones, cartridges and rusted pistols and display them at news conferences. But when it comes to recover looted cash and ornaments, the cops virtually cut a sorry figure for themselves.

In at least four cases of robberies in the past two months involving cash and jewellery, the police have not been able to make any breakthrough.

In some cases, the men in uniform claimed to have caught one or more accused. But recoveries remain zero.

The incident on December 13 last year, in which two men on Dakbungalow Roundabout allegedly snatched Rs 18 lakh from Deepak Kumar, continues to baffle the cops.

“There have neither been any breakthrough nor any recovery in the case. The case is being investigated,” a senior police officer told The Telegraph. On December 12, criminals looted Rs 7.30 lakh after breaking open an ATM kiosk of a private bank at Fatuha. Even in this case, investigations are on. “There has been no breakthrough till late. And recoveries, too, have been nil. We are trying to identify the culprits,” an officer at the Fatuha police station said.

The January 10 robbery at Swarn Rekha Jewellers under Chowk police station area of Patna City, too, remains without recoveries, despite a few arrests. Sources said about seven criminals had decamped with ornaments worth Rs 3.5 lakh.

On January 12, the cops nabbed one Tanweer Alam while his associate, Dheeraj, jumped into a pond in the Alamganj area of Patna City and drowned. “During interrogations, Tanweer admitted to his and Dheeraj’s involvement in the robbery at the jewellery shop. Tanweer, during interrogation, said the ornaments were with one of his associates named Ravi. The ornaments that were looted have not been recovered. Investigation is on,” an officer at the Chowk police station said.

The police, however, said two sophisticated pistols were found on Tanweer and Dheeraj. On January 6, three men on a motorbike shot at liquor trader Jeetendra Kumar and decamped with Rs 3.80 lakh. The amount was in the luggage box of Jeetendra’s bike. The cops had found the bike a few days after the incident.

“One person has been arrested, but the police are yet to recover the money. The police are investigating and the money will be recovered,” an officer at the Patrakar Nagar police station said.

“It is a fact that criminals have looted over Rs 32 lakh in these four cases and recoveries have been nil. But it is diffucult to recover cash. After looting money, the criminals immediately distribute the amount and go into hiding. In case of gold ornaments, there are many jewellery shops, which melt the gold stuff once they get them. What can the police do?” a police officer asked. Sources said it might be possible that the police share a portion of the loot.

The sources added: “Cash is alluring for everybody, including the cops. Recoveries like weapons can be always shown as the maalkhanas of the police stations have got a lot of arms piled up.”