Rampant burglary happening in October, people to be alert
Case 1; Daylight burglary in Changjalu
Two men broke into a house in Changjalu, Thimphu in broad daylight on October 14. They stole three-eyed Dzi bead and a pair of gold earrings worth Nu 40,000.
The police team arrived at the crime scene with a bag of forensic equipment to investigate the case. Unfortunately, the police were unable to identify and catch the burglars even after hours of investigation, leaving the victim in tears. There’s not even a slim chance of recovering her valuables.
The investigating police checked the only CCTV installed by the grocery shop on the ground floor of the building. Interestingly, the grocery shop only installed the CCTV after a minor tried to lift their shop, a few months ago. But the burglars were not captured in the CCTV recording.
Police were also seen inquiring victims’ neighbors. They even tried to collect the fingerprints from the cupboard and the padlock. “The fingerprints are smudged. Thus, we can’t use it to trace the miscreants,” said the investigating police.
The victim, a mother of a toddler living in a two-room apartment in the attic of the building rushed back from the national hospital as soon as she got an unexpected call from her neighbor informing her that the padlock on her door is broken after two men wearing a cap and mask left her home.
The burglars used a brick to break the padlock. The neighbors claimed that they paid little attention as they were caught up with their household chores. Four units, including the victim, live in the attic of that particular building.
Another neighbor said that he was fixing the bulb in their common corridor. He noticed that the main door of the victim’s home was open with two men inside.
He said, “Since I hesitate to make direct eye contact with strangers, I focused on my work. For a flicker of seconds, my eyes caught two men moving calmly behind the semi-transparent door curtain. I thought they were the victims’ relatives. I moved into my home as I finished my task. Then the commotion broke out.”
“We tried our best, we even informed the jewelers in Thimphu to report to us if anyone brings in the Dzi beads and gold earrings for sale,” said the police before leaving the crime scene.
However, the victims are aware that the burglars are street smart and they’d cross the border to trade off their valuables as the country now allows people to move.
In less than two months, burglars created panic among the residents living in Changjalu. The first case happened about a month ago in the attic of the sister building of the current crime scene.
A man living there lost more than Nu 50,000 cash from his cupboard on that unfortunate day at around 2 pm. In his case, he was living with his three cousin sisters and they shared only one key for the main door padlock. The padlock was not broken like in most burglary cases. Not an item from his home was moved in search of valuables.
The victim said, “It’s still a mystery how the burglars broke into my home and stole the cash like they knew where to find it.”
While two of his neighbors were also out of the station on that day, another neighbor was busy with her visitors, unable to pay attention. In the meantime, the burglars managed to steal some hard currency.
Sadly, he neither recovered the lost cash nor got a hint of the burglar as there was no single CCTV installed in the building. However, whenever he leaves his home for a longer duration, he informs his neighbors to check his place.
The repeated burglary and theft cases in this area only made people anxious. A tenant living around this place shared that she doesn’t even entertain the food sellers and old people knocking door-to-door to beg for some cash and edibles.
She said, “Today it’s burglary, tomorrow we might even lose our head in a broad daylight. We don’t have qaa
Another resident living in the vicinity for almost a decade said that the place is the hideout for miscreants. She said, “Although fights and late-night disturbances have decreased, the increase in theft and burglary incidents makes the place dangerous to live in.”
Also, it becomes difficult for the police to catch the suspects as people refuse to come forward as witnesses even when they know the culprits. A middle-aged woman said that it’s just a waste of time if you become the witness.
She said, “About a few years ago, I told the police that I have seen the face of the thief. Since then, I was called to the police station couple of times to record statements. Police would visit me with some new faces every day to confirm the suspect. I realized that it was a dangerous task as I was scared of the grudges the suspect may hold for me if I recognize him.”
The tenants living in the area are urging their landlords to install CCTV for safety.
The case is reported and registered with Thimphu’s south police division in Babesa-Debsi junction. Changjiji’s community police and the south division are investigating the case.
Case 2; A burglar braoke into a shop in Changbangdu (Kala Bazar)
On the same day, on October 14 another burglary case was reported to Thimphu city police at around 2 pm by a shopkeeper near Druk school. The shopkeeper requested the police to investigate her case.
She lost 18 packets of cigarettes and about Nu 200 from her shop. The victim closed her shop at around 9:30 pm on October 13 after taking a half sack of potatoes and taking a day off.
However, she got unpleasant news around 1:30 pm the next day from her sister informing her that her neighbor found her shop left open. The victim claimed that she rushed to her shop immediately and filed a complaint letter to the police.
The police are looking into her case.
Case 3: Three occasions of burglary in Chamgang
Thimphu’s south police division recorded three occasions of burglary cases in Chamgang. The victims lost jewelry and cash, although the worth has not been revealed.
One of the sources said that miscreant is the same person in all three cases. However, the suspect is still at large.
Case 4: A resident in Changzamtok loses Jewelries and cash worth Nu 2,57,000
On October 13, a resident in Changzamtok lost valuables and cash worth Nu 2,57,000 to a burglar. Similarly, the city police recorded more than ten burglary cases in the core town areas this month alone.
Police claimed that fighting cases have decreased as 80 additional police forces from other Dzongkhags have joined Thimphu police to keep the city and people safe. Police were seen carrying out intensive night patrolling in the town areas, leaving no nooks and corners to ensure tranquility to the public.
On the contrary, burglary cases have increased, particularly in October. The miscreants seem to break both into residential areas and non-residential places like offices and shops. Informers claimed that the burglars are stealing mostly jewelry and cash.
Another victim shared that she lost her jewelry but the burglar spared her costly silk woven kiras and ghos (Kishu Thara).
A source suspects that a lone burglar wouldn’t be able to break into homes and offices as shown in the CCTV. She said, “I suspect that there’s a network of miscreants working smartly together while only one gets in to steal the valuable items.”
According to the police, so far, no one has been caught and nothing has been recovered. The burglars dress up in such a way that even if they are captured on CCTV, it’s difficult to recognize them.
With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, it’s common for people to wear masks but criminals are looming behind the mask. “The face is well covered, some were captured in CCTV wearing caps,” said one of the police.
Another police shared that burglars aim the office goers or those people who go to work from 9 am to 5 pm. Hence, most burglaries in the city occur in the evening.
However, other police said that the burglaries also occur at odd hours. He said, “Burglars must have studied their victims thoroughly before executing their plans and clearing the victim's houses without leaving a trace.”
“But, no matter how smart they act, they won’t be able to pay for the terrors, panics, and anxiety they have caused,” said police.
Advise from the police on rampant burglary cases
Only if one visits the police station, and spends some time there, observing how the police are working to keep our communities and cities safe, day in and night out, one would understand that one should rather be safe than sorry. Hence, rather than completely relying on the police, who already have so many important cases to investigate, people can take some of the following precautionary measures.
First and the most important task will be to replace the padlocks with an interlock system for the main door. Secure one’s valuables in a safe box.
Also, unlike in the villages, the urban way of living style is partly to be blamed. People hardly know their neighbors next door. “In the city, most people don’t bother each other but if they could at least inform their neighbor when they leave home for a longer duration, asking one’s neighbor to keep a watch on their home would be a great idea,” said one of the police.
Other police said that the burglars could be someone following your whereabouts on your social media pages. “Hence, I think one shouldn’t update too often, giving a way to the criminals,” he said.
Also, the people are advised not to entertain door-to-door sellers and beggars, who might be there to scan one’s property.
Unlike in some societies, most of the buildings don't have a watchman, although some caretakers are there. If possible, a watch person should be recruited for safety purposes.
Case 1; Daylight burglary in Changjalu
Two men broke into a house in Changjalu, Thimphu in broad daylight on October 14. They stole three-eyed Dzi bead and a pair of gold earrings worth Nu 40,000.
The police team arrived at the crime scene with a bag of forensic equipment to investigate the case. Unfortunately, the police were unable to identify and catch the burglars even after hours of investigation, leaving the victim in tears. There’s not even a slim chance of recovering her valuables.
The investigating police checked the only CCTV installed by the grocery shop on the ground floor of the building. Interestingly, the grocery shop only installed the CCTV after a minor tried to lift their shop, a few months ago. But the burglars were not captured in the CCTV recording.
Police were also seen inquiring victims’ neighbors. They even tried to collect the fingerprints from the cupboard and the padlock. “The fingerprints are smudged. Thus, we can’t use it to trace the miscreants,” said the investigating police.
The victim, a mother of a toddler living in a two-room apartment in the attic of the building rushed back from the national hospital as soon as she got an unexpected call from her neighbor informing her that the padlock on her door is broken after two men wearing a cap and mask left her home.
The burglars used a brick to break the padlock. The neighbors claimed that they paid little attention as they were caught up with their household chores. Four units, including the victim, live in the attic of that particular building.
Another neighbor said that he was fixing the bulb in their common corridor. He noticed that the main door of the victim’s home was open with two men inside.
He said, “Since I hesitate to make direct eye contact with strangers, I focused on my work. For a flicker of seconds, my eyes caught two men moving calmly behind the semi-transparent door curtain. I thought they were the victims’ relatives. I moved into my home as I finished my task. Then the commotion broke out.”
“We tried our best, we even informed the jewelers in Thimphu to report to us if anyone brings in the Dzi beads and gold earrings for sale,” said the police before leaving the crime scene.
However, the victims are aware that the burglars are street smart and they’d cross the border to trade off their valuables as the country now allows people to move.
In less than two months, burglars created panic among the residents living in Changjalu. The first case happened about a month ago in the attic of the sister building of the current crime scene.
A man living there lost more than Nu 50,000 cash from his cupboard on that unfortunate day at around 2 pm. In his case, he was living with his three cousin sisters and they shared only one key for the main door padlock. The padlock was not broken like in most burglary cases. Not an item from his home was moved in search of valuables.
The victim said, “It’s still a mystery how the burglars broke into my home and stole the cash like they knew where to find it.”
While two of his neighbors were also out of the station on that day, another neighbor was busy with her visitors, unable to pay attention. In the meantime, the burglars managed to steal some hard currency.
Sadly, he neither recovered the lost cash nor got a hint of the burglar as there was no single CCTV installed in the building. However, whenever he leaves his home for a longer duration, he informs his neighbors to check his place.
The repeated burglary and theft cases in this area only made people anxious. A tenant living around this place shared that she doesn’t even entertain the food sellers and old people knocking door-to-door to beg for some cash and edibles.
She said, “Today it’s burglary, tomorrow we might even lose our head in a broad daylight. We don’t have qaa
Another resident living in the vicinity for almost a decade said that the place is the hideout for miscreants. She said, “Although fights and late-night disturbances have decreased, the increase in theft and burglary incidents makes the place dangerous to live in.”
Also, it becomes difficult for the police to catch the suspects as people refuse to come forward as witnesses even when they know the culprits. A middle-aged woman said that it’s just a waste of time if you become the witness.
She said, “About a few years ago, I told the police that I have seen the face of the thief. Since then, I was called to the police station couple of times to record statements. Police would visit me with some new faces every day to confirm the suspect. I realized that it was a dangerous task as I was scared of the grudges the suspect may hold for me if I recognize him.”
The tenants living in the area are urging their landlords to install CCTV for safety.
The case is reported and registered with Thimphu’s south police division in Babesa-Debsi junction. Changjiji’s community police and the south division are investigating the case.
Case 2; A burglar braoke into a shop in Changbangdu (Kala Bazar)
On the same day, on October 14 another burglary case was reported to Thimphu city police at around 2 pm by a shopkeeper near Druk school. The shopkeeper requested the police to investigate her case.
She lost 18 packets of cigarettes and about Nu 200 from her shop. The victim closed her shop at around 9:30 pm on October 13 after taking a half sack of potatoes and taking a day off.
However, she got unpleasant news around 1:30 pm the next day from her sister informing her that her neighbor found her shop left open. The victim claimed that she rushed to her shop immediately and filed a complaint letter to the police.
The police are looking into her case.
Case 3: Three occasions of burglary in Chamgang
Thimphu’s south police division recorded three occasions of burglary cases in Chamgang. The victims lost jewelry and cash, although the worth has not been revealed.
One of the sources said that miscreant is the same person in all three cases. However, the suspect is still at large.
Case 4: A resident in Changzamtok loses Jewelries and cash worth Nu 2,57,000
On October 13, a resident in Changzamtok lost valuables and cash worth Nu 2,57,000 to a burglar. Similarly, the city police recorded more than ten burglary cases in the core town areas this month alone.
Police claimed that fighting cases have decreased as 80 additional police forces from other Dzongkhags have joined Thimphu police to keep the city and people safe. Police were seen carrying out intensive night patrolling in the town areas, leaving no nooks and corners to ensure tranquility to the public.
On the contrary, burglary cases have increased, particularly in October. The miscreants seem to break both into residential areas and non-residential places like offices and shops. Informers claimed that the burglars are stealing mostly jewelry and cash.
Another victim shared that she lost her jewelry but the burglar spared her costly silk woven kiras and ghos (Kishu Thara).
A source suspects that a lone burglar wouldn’t be able to break into homes and offices as shown in the CCTV. She said, “I suspect that there’s a network of miscreants working smartly together while only one gets in to steal the valuable items.”
According to the police, so far, no one has been caught and nothing has been recovered. The burglars dress up in such a way that even if they are captured on CCTV, it’s difficult to recognize them.
With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, it’s common for people to wear masks but criminals are looming behind the mask. “The face is well covered, some were captured in CCTV wearing caps,” said one of the police.
Another police shared that burglars aim the office goers or those people who go to work from 9 am to 5 pm. Hence, most burglaries in the city occur in the evening.
However, other police said that the burglaries also occur at odd hours. He said, “Burglars must have studied their victims thoroughly before executing their plans and clearing the victim's houses without leaving a trace.”
“But, no matter how smart they act, they won’t be able to pay for the terrors, panics, and anxiety they have caused,” said police.
Advise from the police on rampant burglary cases
Only if one visits the police station, and spends some time there, observing how the police are working to keep our communities and cities safe, day in and night out, one would understand that one should rather be safe than sorry. Hence, rather than completely relying on the police, who already have so many important cases to investigate, people can take some of the following precautionary measures.
First and the most important task will be to replace the padlocks with an interlock system for the main door. Secure one’s valuables in a safe box.
Also, unlike in the villages, the urban way of living style is partly to be blamed. People hardly know their neighbors next door. “In the city, most people don’t bother each other but if they could at least inform their neighbor when they leave home for a longer duration, asking one’s neighbor to keep a watch on their home would be a great idea,” said one of the police.
Other police said that the burglars could be someone following your whereabouts on your social media pages. “Hence, I think one shouldn’t update too often, giving a way to the criminals,” he said.
Also, the people are advised not to entertain door-to-door sellers and beggars, who might be there to scan one’s property.
Unlike in some societies, most of the buildings don't have a watchman, although some caretakers are there. If possible, a watch person should be recruited for safety purposes.
