A most audacious burglary was committed in two villas in the coastal village of Grand Baie between Wednesday January 24 and Sunday February 4. Rattan furniture and various other items, all valued at Rs 250,000, were taken. A meticulous investigation by elements of Grand Baie’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) led to the arrest on Wednesday February 21 of two alleged thieves and three fences. Part of the stolen goods was recovered.
These two cases of burglary were reported to the Grand Baie police station by the 65-year-old manager of a money-changing company in Vacoas. The thieves had removed the hasp from a door to gain access to the interior. They made off with a four-seater sofa, two reclining chairs, a chrome gas stove, a microwave, eighteen glasses of wine, twelve dishes, a set of three pots, an insect killer, a chrome and a wooden tumble dryer, a set of four rattan sofas, plastic chairs and sofas.
In the second villa, the thieves stole a set of four sofas, a table and five plastic chairs, an oven, a gas stove and a refrigerator. All these items belong to a company based in Vacoas.
A police operation mounted on Wednesday morning, February 21, by the men of Inspector Dooshan Thakoor of the Grand Baie CID under the supervision of Superintendent of Police Jankeeparsad Buchoo led to the arrest of Ahmed Hebiret, a 57-year-old contractor living on Chemin Vingt Pieds, Grand Baie. Under close interrogation, Hebiret asserted his right to remain silent and refused to give a statement.
His arrest put investigators on the trail of a 41-year-old doctor from Pointe aux Canonniers. Questioned by the CID, the doctor explained that he had bought several articles on Facebook with a certain Akash Ramgoolam. He returned all the items he had purchased to the police.
Akash Ramgoolam, a 31-year-old carpenter from Sottise, Grand Baie was in turn apprehended. He confessed to stealing the items and selling some to the doctor in Pointe aux Canonniers, and some to two other people, including a resident of Allée Brillant, Sadally, Voacas and a Quatrebornais. Akash Ramgoolam identified Ahmed Hebiret as his accomplice, who had helped him transport the stolen goods.
The Vacoas resident and the Quatre Bornes resident also returned the items they had bought from Akash Ramgoolam to the investigators. The three alleged fences were released after giving their statements. Ahmed Hebiret and Akash Ramgoolam were placed in cells at Piton detention center and Poudre d’Or police station respectively. These two suspects and the three alleged fencesmen will be brought before the Pamplemousses court this Friday morning, February 23.
