Notorious burglar from Hyderabad with over 200 cases arrested in Visakhapatnam

The Visakhapatnam City Police on 12 June 2025  arrested a notorious interstate burglar, Mohammed Salim Qureshi (51), from Attapur in Hyderabad. Qureshi, a habitual offender with a criminal history spanning over two decades, is allegedly involved in more than 200 property offences across six Indian states.

The arrest was made in connection with a series of recent burglaries reported under the III Town Police Station limits in Visakhapatnam, including thefts in the upscale neighbourhoods of Waltair Uplands and Pandurangapuram. Acting on technical evidence and CCTV footage, a special investigation team led by Crime DCP Lata Madhuri traced Qureshi to Maharashtra, where he was apprehended with assistance from local police.

Addressing the media, City Police Commissioner Shankhabrata Bagchi stated that Qureshi was caught with stolen property, including 71 grams of gold jewellery, collectively worth Rs 25 lakh. A vehicle used in the thefts was also recovered from Parbhani district in Maharashtra. Two of his associates, including Maharashtra-based Mayur Jadhav, are currently absconding.

Qureshi’s criminal record is staggering. He faces 105 cases in Maharashtra, 65 in Telangana, five in Andhra Pradesh, six in Karnataka, and one each in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Some of his high-profile crimes include a 2001 heist at the residence of notorious gangster Chhota Rajan in Mumbai, where valuables worth Rs 10 crore were reportedly stolen, and a burglary at the residence of a former Rajasthan MLA in 2013.

Reportedly, the criminal never used a mask and often travelled in a luxury car to scout and rob target homes. In recent incidents in Visakhapatnam, he broke into multiple homes in broad daylight and fled with valuables. He’s been selling the stolen jewellery in Hyderabad for years.

Following a spate of thefts in Visakhapatnam between June 2024 and May 2025, police launched an intensive investigation. Qureshi was identified through CCTV footage, and his images were circulated via the National Crime Records Bureau. Investigators also tracked nearly 20 mobile numbers linked to him and his family, which helped pinpoint his location, following which the burglar was arrested in Visakhapatnam.

The police have urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity in residential areas. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend Qureshi’s accomplices and recover the rest of the stolen property.

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