‘Operation all out’ in Pune shows results, three held for chain snatching

Pune: Newly appointed police commissioner Satish Mathur’s ‘Operation all out’ against chain snatchers and fraudsters has started showing results.
The Bharti Vidyapeeth police arrested three persons who created forged smart cards of the vehicle they used in the crime to hoodwink the police.
The police has established the arrested suspects link with Irani gangs which are presently active in chain snatching and cheating cases in the state. They have been identified as Kudrat Munir Patvekar (24), Anand Raghunath Kate (26) and Pradip Sitaram Chowgule (27), all residents of Jaisinghpur, Kolhapur.
Senior police inspector Machindra Chavan of Bharti Vidyapeeth police station said, “During our operation on Thursday, our policemen spotted registration number of the vehicles written in sketch pen. As a result, they halted them and started inquiring about the registration number and documents. 
The suspects produced smart cards through which we got the engine number of the vehicle. Our suspicion grew during interrogation and we arrested them.
Explaining the modus operandi of the suspects, Chavan said, “The trio were operating in a syndicate manner. Before starting their operation, the suspects would steal motorcycles and change it’s registration number. Thereafter, they would write the registration number with a sketch pen and would keep forged documents with them. The suspects would target people either posing as policemen or would strike at isolated places. Thereafter, the duo would meet their associate at one spot and hand over the stolen booty to them.”
He added, “At nakabandi spots, they would produce forged documents and hoodwink the police.”