Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 21: Thieves struck several shops at Municipal Gumat Market in Jammu city during the intervening night and decamped with outdoor units of split air conditioners from nearly 15 establishments, causing panic among traders in the busy market area.
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According to shopkeepers, the thieves targeted AC outdoor units installed outside the shops. In some cases, the entire compressor units were stolen, while in others, the culprits removed valuable copper wiring from the air conditioners before fleeing from the spot. The incident surfaced in the morning when traders opened their shops and found the AC units either damaged or completely missing.
The affected traders alleged that incidents of theft have increased in the market over the past one month. They claimed that unidentified thieves have repeatedly targeted shops and stolen copper wires as well as outdoor units of split air conditioners, causing financial losses to shopkeepers.
Expressing concern over the recurring thefts, the traders demanded strict action against those involved and urged senior officers of the Police Department to intensify night patrolling in and around the market area to prevent such incidents in future.
Meanwhile, Incharge Police Post Hari Market, G C Thappa, said that no formal complaint regarding the latest theft incident had been received so far. He stated that after earlier theft incidents, barbed wire had been installed in the area on the request of traders, but it was later cut by the shopkeepers themselves to create a shortcut passage, which also made it easier for thieves to gain access to the market.
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