Bungling burglars collared, asleep on the job

Two drunken would-be thieves in India were caught red-handed - and red-faced - after they were arrested, having fallen asleep halfway through a robbery, according to the Indo Asian News Service (IANS).

The two men were detained when police were summoned to a gold ornamental jewellery shop in Orissa, India, after locals found the doors of the village shop open early in the morning.

Police told the IANS that the two suspects, Rabindra Das and Prabhucharan Das, had planned to steal valuable ornaments and cash from the store, before arguing with one another and falling asleep inside.

When the police arrived, the thieves were found, still sleeping, with 500 Rupees in cash and several ornaments in their possession. Law enforcement sources suggest that the burglars are known locally for smoking marijuana, as well as for their drinking habits.

The suspects, both from the nearby Indian coastal area of Jagatsinghpur, have since been brought before a local court and sent to jail.