The crime branch of Mumbai police arrested two teenagers who are allegedly involved in about 50 cases of chain snatching. The police have recovered from them gold chains and mangalsutras worth Rs11.66 lakh and two bikes.
The arrested duo has been identified as Sagar Shivkumar Thakur alias Munna, 18, Shoaib Badruddin Dhanani alias Lala alias Thapa, 19, both residents of Mira Road. While Sagar is an expert in pulling chains and mangalsutras off women, Shoaib is an expert biker, police said.
According to the police, inspectors Firoz Patel and Raghunath Dalvi of Unit 11 received information that the two chain snatchers would be around near Raghuleela Mall in Kandivli (W). The police laid a trap near the place and arrested them.
Joint commissioner of police (crime) Rakesh Maria said, “The duo used to borrow bikes from their friends on the pretext of impressing their girlfriends. They used to go on for chain snatching and used to rob at least eight chain in a day. They were operating between Dahisar and Santa Cruz since January, this year.”
He added that the police had arrested two Mira Road based jewellers, Manoj Jain and Bhupinder Kothari, who purchased the stolen chains. “The duo would then spend money in snooker bars, pubs and malls to buy expensive clothes,” Maria said.
Two more heldA drive by the Nirmal Nagar police to nab chain snatchers in the Khar West region has helped the police nab a man and his accomplice, a woman who were involved in a number of chain-snatching cases in the area. Police have recovered 15 gold chains worth Rs2.5 lakh and a motor cycle from them. “After a rise in chain-snatching cases, we started a drive under the guidance of DCP Brijesh Singh of Zone VIII, to keep a watch.
We got a tip-off about Akash Chauhan and Shahnaz Ali and they were arrested from Khernagar, Bandra East,” said Prashant Bagade, senior inspector, Nirmal Nagar police station.
