KANNUR: A significant theft occurred at a beverage outlet in Kelakam, Kannur, where thieves made off with 23 bottles of liquor after breaking a window of the outlet. The incident took place around 1:30 am on Saturday. Despite widening the investigation, the police have yet to find any substantial leads.

The theft was discovered during a routine patrol by the Kelakam police. The culprits broke the rear window of the outlet and stole 23 half-liter liquor bottles that were stored in a box near the window. Upon further inspection, 17 of the stolen bottles were found abandoned near the building. It was also noted that the CCTV cameras, including those of nearby shops, had been covered with paper, leading the police to believe that the theft was carefully planned and executed. Although there have been thefts at beverage outlets in the past, this is reportedly the first incident of its kind in the area.

In a related incident, three individuals were recently arrested for breaking into a beverage outlet in Palode, near the Pandyanpara forest area, after being released from jail. The suspects—identified as Sajeer, Vishnu, and Babu—smashed the lock of the outlet and stole expensive liquor. The thieves noticed that the CCTV cameras had recorded their actions, so they destroyed the hard disk and monitor to eliminate evidence.

The theft uncovered when the manager arrived in the morning to open the outlet and found the shutter’s lock broken. A mobile phone used by the outlet was also stolen during the break-in. After being released from jail in connection with a previous theft case, the suspects targeted the outlet again.