Two notorious chain snatchers arrested in Mumbai

Two notorious chain snatchers, who allegedly committed over 22 offences in the past few months in city suburbs, have been arrested from Sion in central Mumbai, police said today.
Acting on a tip off, a trap was laid near Sion railway station yesterday when the two culprits - Jameel Siddique (30) and Karam Azgar Ali Shah (23) -- were spotted and immediately arrested, Assistant Police Commissioner (Crime) Prafulla Bhosale told PTI.
According to the crime branch, the duo had targeted women in eastern, central and western suburbs of the city at the time when roads are deserted as it was easy to escape.

They were produced before a court, which remanded them in police custody till July 21, Bhosale added.
"In some occasions, the two used motorcycles to carry out the crimes, while in other cases, they snatched the 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 they committed the crime.

"After robbing the gold chains, the duo used to visit jewellery shops with their wives to sell them to avoid suspicion from the buyers," police said.
With chain snatching becoming a menace in the metropolis, police have charged the accused held in previous cases with 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.