GRP busts two gangs of chain snatchers who target Mumbai local train commuters; 8 held

Police recovered gold chains worth Rs 5.19 lakh from the members of the gangs.

Mumbai: The Government Railway Police (GRP) has busted two gangs hailing from West Bengal involved in committing chain snatchings on suburban trains in Mumbai and arrested eight persons, an official said on Wednesday.

Police recovered gold chains worth Rs 5.19 lakh from the members of the gangs.

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The gangs used to operate in groups of four, the official said.

“After identifying their victim, they used to pick quarrels with him under some pretext while he was boarding a train. In the ensuing pandemonium, one member used to snatch the chain of the victim,” he added.

An FIR was lodged by a passenger at the Wadala GRP stating that four persons robbed his chain worth Rs 80,000 when he was boarding a train at Kurla station.

The GRP official said the police scanned CCTV footages and nabbed four accused with the help of technical evidence from Tilak Nagar locality in Mumbai.

Their interrogation revealed that one more gang is active in Mumbai which also targets commuters on the suburban railway network, he said, adding that police tracked down four members of the second gang and arrested them.

“Both the gangs hail from West Bengal. We have recovered gold chains worth Rs 5.19 lakh from their possession and detected seven such cases,” said police inspector Arssuddin Sheikh.

He said a case has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including 392 (punishment for robbery) and further investigation is underway.