Cuttack: Chauliaganj police have nabbed a burglar who has committed "at least a hundred thefts".

Bankana Bhoi, 25, of Padampur in Jagatpur police used to sneak into houses in the dead of night and leave with valuables and cash. He was arrested in connection with 17 theft cases, said a police officer.

Chauliaganj police produced Bhoi before a local court on Wednesday. Though he was jailed several times earlier, he used to start committing thefts as soon as he was out on bail every time.

Bhoi was nabbed during investigation into a complaint lodged at the Chauliaganj police station by Tanarpa resident Sanjaya Kumar Pati. In his complaint, Pati had stated that on the night of April 24, some unknown persons entered his house and stolen two cell phones and Rs 6,000 in cash.

"Investigating the case, police found it to be the handiwork of Bhoi. During interrogation, Bhoi had admitted to have committed the theft," said deputy commissioner of police Akhileswar Singh.

"The uniqueness in Bhoi's crimes is that he commits all the thefts alone at night time after doing a daytime recce in various residential areas," Singh said.

Bhoi was earlier involved in cases registered at Jagatpur, Chauliaganj, Malgodown and Salipur police stations.

During interrogation, Bhoi allegedly revealed that he had burgled about a hundred houses, but was caught in only 17 cases.

The police have recovered four stolen mobile phones and Rs 6,000 in cash from his possession.

Ganja seized

Police on Thursday raided a den at Machneswar area and seized 11 kilograms of ganja and 2,280 pieces of ganja cigarettes. One Sukanta Das, 57, a resident of Gopabandu Nagar Basti in Mancheswar area, was arrested. He was booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and was forwarded to court. In another case, Infocity Police arrested Rabindra Pradhan, who was involved in nine bulglary cases in various parts of Bhubaneswar.