The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Thimphu police arrested a 39-year-old man for four burglary and one larceny case on 31 March 2024.
The incident was brought to light when the Department of Civil Registration and Census office at Kawangjangsa reported a loss of laptop along with the bag, USB drives and few documents from their office on the night of 28 March.
Following the same night the suspect stole two more laptops from a hotel nearby the census office, which the hotel reported.
Also, on 26 March, another burglary case was reported from Kuzoo FM, an office around Chubachu area. The suspect had stolen an iPhone from the office.
The suspect was caught after being identified through CCTV footage.
The suspect after interrogation has confessed to involvement in four burglary cases and a larceny case. It was also known that he was operating on his own and that he was stealing late at night.
The suspect had stolen from five different places, firstly the golf canteen, Kuzoo office, census office, an apartment and from a car nearby the Druk Air office.
RBP recovered laptops, iPhone, camera, sunglass, MacBook, USB drives and official documents from him.
RBP shared that the suspect is also wanted by Samtse police as a suspect in connection with an auto stripping case which was reported 1 and half months ago. The suspect had previous record of burglary for which he served an imprisonment of one year.
RBP combined statistics from 2023 and 2022 records 467 offences of burglary, 594 offences of larceny and 123 offences of auto stripping.
As per Penal Code of Bhutan, a defendant shall be guilty of the offence of burglary, if the defendant unlawfully enters or remains in a building, an occupied structure, or a separately secured or occupied portion of a building or structure used as an abode, industry, or business, with or without force, with the intent to commit a crime therein.
The offence of burglary shall be a felony of the fourth degree.
Also, a defendant shall be guilty of the offence of larceny, if the defendant takes or moves the property of another person without the owner’s consent and with the intent to deprive the owner of the property or to appropriate the same to the defendant or a third person.
Further, a defendant shall be guilty of the offence of auto stripping, if the defendant removes, destroys, or defaces any part of a motor vehicle.
The offence of both larceny and auto stripping shall be a value-based sentencing.
