Manipal Police Nab Two 'Tattoo 313' Gang Members, Recover Gold Worth Rs 7.9 Lakh
Police said efforts are on to trace and arrest two more accused believed to be involved in the case
Udupi: Manipal police have arrested two members of the "Tattoo 313" gang in connection with a house burglary case and recovered gold jewellery worth Rs 7.9 lakh. Police said on Tuesday the gang targeted locked houses near railway stations in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh.
The accused have been identified as Darshan R (21), a resident of Singasandra in Bengaluru, and Chandru (26), a native of Davanagere district. Police said both were involved in a burglary reported under the Manipal Police Station limits in February.
According to police, Amit Daniel of Shivalli village had locked his house at Manchikodi and gone to his mother's residence on February 3. The next afternoon, neighbours informed him that the house door was found open. On returning, he discovered that unknown thieves had broken into the residence, and gold ornaments weighing about 75 grams and valued at around Rs 7 lakh had been stolen. Based on his complaint, a case was registered at the Manipal Police Station.
On June 6, PSI (Investigation) Shambhulingayya and crime staff personnel Raviraj and Manjunath were on night patrol duty when they noticed two persons moving suspiciously near Indrali Railway Godown Road. The police found suspicious articles in their possession and questioned them.
During sustained interrogation, the duo allegedly confessed that they had been breaking into locked houses located near railway tracks by forcing open doors and committing thefts. They further revealed that they had come to the same locality again with the intention of committing another burglary. Based on their statement, the police detained the suspects and seized the tools and implements they were carrying to break open house doors.
The suspects were brought to the police station, where further investigation by Inspector Mahesh Prasad linked them to the February burglary case. After securing their custody from the court, police traced the stolen property to a lodge room in Shivamogga, where the accused had allegedly concealed the jewellery.
Police recovered a gold karimani chain weighing 39.70 grams, a 13.30-gram gold necklace, a pair of gold earrings weighing 3.15 grams and a gold chain weighing 3.87 grams. In all, about 60 grams of gold jewellery worth Rs 7.9 lakh was seized. Two mobile phones were also recovered from the accused.
Police said efforts are on to trace and arrest two more accused believed to be involved in the case.
Investigation revealed that the accused had tattooed the words "TATTO 313" on their hands and identified themselves as members of the "TATTO 313 Gang." The gang allegedly targets houses located near railway stations across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh. Their modus operandi involves conducting burglaries at night while wearing masks, gloves and socks to avoid identification and fingerprints. They carry iron tools to break open doors and specifically target locked houses.
Preliminary investigation has revealed that several criminal cases are pending against the accused in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. During the course of the investigation, it also came to light that the accused were allegedly involved in a theft committed within the jurisdiction of Surathkal Police Station in September 2025.
