Two chain snatchers with 22 cases in Mumbai held

Two notorious chain snatchers, who allegedly committed over 22 offences over the past few months and targeted women in city suburbs, have been arrested from Sion, police said on Friday.

Acting on a tip off, a trap was laid near Sion railway station yesterday when the duo – Jameel Siddique, 30 and Karam AzgarAli Shah, 23 – were spotted and immediately arrested, said ACP (crime) Praful Bhosale.

According to the crime branch, the two had targeted women in eastern, central and western suburbs of the city at a time when roads were deserted, as it was easy to escape. The duo was produced before a court which remanded them to police custody till July 21, Bhosale added.

"On some occasions, the two used motorcycles to carry out the crimes while in other cases, they snatched gold chains from the victims and ran away from the spots," the officer said.

Sion, Mahim, Kherwadi, Bandra, Chembur, Chunabhatti, Dharavi, Meghwadi and Jogeshwari were the areas where the women were targeted by the two.

After robbing the gold chains, the duo would visit jewellery shops and sell the loot with their wives, in order to avoid suspicion from buyers, police said.

With chain snatching becoming a menace in the metropolis, the police have charged the accused held in previous cases as per the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), police said.

"In this case also, the two accused might be charged with MCOCA as the probe progresses. The accused may be involved in some more chain snatching offences," the officer added.