Bhubaneswar, Feb. 23: An IAS officer, who was on deputation with the state government's home department, had parked his vehicle on the busy Janpath stretch here. When he came back a few minutes later, he discovered several valuable items, including his passport, a digital camera, a few foreign currency notes and other documents, missing from his car.

This was followed by a number of similar incidents on one of the busiest and most prominent stretches of the state capital. Now, police have decided to begin an awareness campaign along the stretch to create awareness among people about leaving valuables in their parked vehicles.

A senior official of the city police said cops of Saheed Nagar, Kharavela Nagar and Capital police stations had already been asked to distribute leaflets to create awareness among people who park their vehicles along the stretch, which houses a number of business establishments.

The decision came in the wake of cops discovering that members of a gang from Tamil Nadu were involved in various incidents of loots in the city. They were released from Jharapada jail recently.

The stretch of Janpath between Vani Vihar Square and Sishu Bhavan Square falls under the jurisdiction of three police stations - Saheed Nagar, Kharavela Nagar and Capital.

"Our men will patrol the area in the evenings and ask drivers and owners not to leave valuables behind in parked vehicles," said a police official.

According to the cops, the gang, most of which function in groups of three, deploys an ingenious technique. One member drops currency notes to draw the driver's attention, while another stands on the opposite side. As the driver opens the door to pick up the notes, another opens the back door and decamps with whatever valuables they can find in the car and vanish from the area.

Though the gang from Tamil Nadu has not been able to strike recently, the cops suspect their involvement in an incident on February 18 where a gang deceived a driver near Rajmahal and decamped with a bag. However, the bag did not have any valuables inside.

According to police sources, 15 such cases of loot using currency notes and breaking window glasses have taken place along Janpath in the past three years.

In October 2014, goons allegedly took away diamond jewellery worth around Rs 10 lakh kept in the back seat of a car by breaking the side glass from in front of a jewellery shop, located barely a few metres from Kharavela Nagar police station.

The police said despite frequent drives, residents still left their belongings in the vehicles.

Deputy commissioner of police, Bhubaneswar, Satyabrata Bhoi said they were deploying adequate policemen at business establishments, especially banks, to prevent incidents of loot and snatching.

"We have also asked police stations concerned to intensify foot patrolling on the stretch. We have already pressed a jeep with speakers in service. The speakers will play awareness messages," said Bhoi.