Record Gold Prices Spur Crime in Erstwhile Warangal, Karimnagar Districts

 Warangal: A series of thefts and robberies over the last 48 hours has left residents of erstwhile Warangal and Karimnagar districts in a state of anxiety, prompting massive police response.

Multiple incidents involving theft of gold ornaments and cash have been reported. Police officials say the unprecedented surge in gold prices has turned domestic jewellery into a high-value target for organised gangs, leading to a new wave of property crimes across the region.

In Warangal city, Matwada police area witnessed two significant burglaries in quick succession. At SSK Seva Samaj, a resident named Dasa Vijaya discovered her home ransacked in the morning after returning from a walk. An intruder decamped with two tolas of gold ornaments and a mobile phone, valued at nearly Rs 2.5 lakh.

In the other heist at Papayyapeta Chaman, the residence of a local goldsmith, Tangellapalli Ravinder Rao, got targeted while the family had been in Hyderabad. They returned to find their locks broken and 3.5 tolas of gold, half a kilogramme of silver and cash missing, a loss of over Rs 4.10 lakh.

These crimes have extended to Mahabubabad district. An unidentified thief targeted a couple from Ellampeta village while boarding a bus at the district headquarters' bus station. The thief snatched a bag containing jewellery valued at over Rs 7 lakh. Local police are currently scanning surveillance footage to identify the culprit.

In Karimnagar district, criminals are targeting elderly and lone women. At Rekurthi, two women posing as devotees applied a sedative-laced “tilak” to a resident’s forehead, causing her to lose consciousness. The women vanished with five tolas of gold and cash.

Incidents of jewellery polishing have emerged from Boyawada, where fraudsters vanished with ornaments after promising to clean them. These incidents occurred at the Vijeta Manohara Heavens Apartment in Shivanagar, where conmen escaped with nearly ₹35 lakh worth of valuables from two separate flats.

In light of these incidents, police officials have issued a high alert across both the Warangal and Karimnagar districts. Officials say as gold is becoming expensive, it becomes easier for thieves to liquidate small quantities for high returns, making even minor household collections a risk.

People have been asked to utilise the Locked House Monitoring System (LHMS) when travelling. They must remain sceptical of any strangers offering cleaning services or seeking religious donations.

Police have intensified patrolling in residential neighbourhoods to restore public confidence as the hunt for apprehending such gangs continues.