Patna: A gang of autorickshaw drivers has been linked to a string of burglaries in Danapur area where over 12 locked flats and houses were burgled over the past fortnight alone. The burglars primarily targeted homes left vacant while families were away on holiday.Police have arrested eight suspects and recovered stolen valuables, urging residents to remain cautious when leaving their homes unattended.Danapur assistant superintendent of police (ASP) Bhanu Pratap Singh inspected three burgled flats on Saturday in the Rupaspur police station area. These flats were targeted on May 20. “Three locked flats were targeted by the thieves and they stole valuables worth Rs 20 lakh,” he said, adding that eight suspects, all autorickshaw drivers, were arrested and stolen gold and silver ornaments recovered from their possession.Rupaspur SHO Ranvijay Kumar said in addition to the May 20 break-ins in R P S Nagar, three more flats in IAS Colony were burgled on May 21 and May 22. “One flat was empty. Around Rs 2 lakh in cash to Rs 2.5 lakh worth of valuables were stolen by the robbers from two flats in IAS Colony. We have identified the miscreants in one case and raids are on to arrest them. The other case is under investigation,” he said.Priyanka Kumari, a resident of Ramjaipal Road whose flat was among those burgled, criticised the lack of police presence. “Two flats in my apartment were burgled on May 21. Valuables from my flat were taken away by the thieves,” she said.Another resident, Vivek Kumar, detailed his experience in an FIR. He said he locked his flat at 11am on Thursday before travelling to Muzaffarpur with his family. Upon returning at around 5pm, he found the main door’s lock broken and the rooms ransacked.Six flats were also burgled on May 20 in the Khagaul police station area. SHO Roshan Kumar said most of the targeted flats in an apartment at Saguna Mor were unoccupied. “The group of six to seven burglars entered the building from the rear. The gang was busted and they all turned out to be auto drivers, who conducted daytime reconnaissance while driving and struck at night,” he said.