'Catch me if you can' burglar arrested

Indian police have arrested a burglar who left behind letters taunting, "Catch me if you can".

The thief modelled himself after a character named Dheena, from a popular Tamil movie called Citizen.

He would leave notes for police during raids in the Chennai area before making off with valuables.

"Catch me if you can. Arrest me if you have the guts," he taunted the police in his notes and in messages scribbled on the walls of houses he burgled.

In his last note, the burglar announced plans to move to another area since he had exhausted his quota of houses in a particular locality, reports newspaper Patrike.

This time though he left a set of fingerprints which police claim reveal his identity as a convict called Siva.

He was allegedly caught in the act in the town of Krishnagiri. Officers say the man was in the process of leaving a note for the police.

"Everything he did was designed to make us look foolish. Public confidence has hopefully been restored with his arrest," a senior police official said.

Siva, who is being interviewed by the police, is quoted as saying: "As in the film the burglaries were easy and fun, but all that has now ended. Reality is more tough."