The arrests were made on Saturday for the theft which took place on December 11. The quartet allegedly stole two diamond-studded bangles from the showroom, they added.

Senior officers reviewed CCTV footage and activated surveillance inputs. Acting on a tip-off, a joint team of the crime and surveillance units of the eastern zone, along with Gomti Nagar police, arrested the accused near Gwari bridge on Saturday and recovered four diamond-studded bangles, Gomti Nagar SHO BC Tiwari said.

Describing their modus operandi, police said the accused -- members of an inter-state gang from Maharashtra -- targeted high-end jewellery showrooms and posed as customers. Instead of entering together, they would split into individuals or pairs and enter the store at short intervals. While some would engage sales staff with repeated queries, others would keep a watch on counters and drawers.

Deputy commissioner of police (east) Shashank Singh said that once staff attention was diverted, one of the accused would discreetly open a counter drawer and remove jewellery from the display tray. "The theft would take only a few seconds, and the group would leave before the staff realised anything was missing," he said.

Police said the gang deliberately included elderly members to avoid suspicion. "Their criminal history is being verified, and further leads are being explored to check their possible involvement in similar cases elsewhere," the SHO added.