Two men wearing tiger and bull masks robbed jewels worth several crores from a popular jewellery showroom in Tamil Nadu's Tiruchirappalli.
The masked robbers stole nearly 800 jewels weighing about 30 kg after gaining entry into the Lalithaa jewellery showroom by drilling a side wall Tuesday night, police said, and sprinkled chilli powder all over to throw dogs off scent.
The stolen jewels are said to be worth Rs 13 crore.
The robbers gained access despite six night watchmen guarding the showroom and reportedly spent nearly 90 minutes inside the store.
"As many as 800 gold and platinum ornaments have been burgled," Kiran Kumar, one of the owners of the shop, said.
Employees discovered the robbery when they opened the showroom the next morning.
CCTV cameras show two masked men entering the showroom through a drilled hole and taking their time stealing the jewellery. Police suspect they had an accomplice who waited outside the shop to collect the booty.
The robbers had also spilt chilli power in the shop to confuse the police dogs, PTI reported.
Police Commissioner A Amalraj said that local police officials have visited the spot to look for clues. "We have got some basic information. We have formed several teams to arrest the culprits," he said.
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