Murder convict who led gang of mobile snatchers arrested

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A murder convict, who ran a gang of mobile snatchers, has been arrested along with his associates from the Nizamuddin area of the city, police said on Tuesday. The accused, identified as Israel (34), who was in jail for 14 years in a murder case, and his associates Anis (23) and a juvenile, were arrested near Hazrat Nizamuddin earlier this week, Deputy Commissioner Of Police (south east) Chinmoy Biswal said.

He had killed one Kamal in Seelampuri in 2000 and was sentenced to life imprisonment in the case, the official said.

After being released from jail, he had formed a gang and employed juveniles for snatching mobile phones near Hazrat Nizamuddin, Biswal said.

The gang used to travel from their base in Sahibabad (Ghaziabad) in a hired auto and escape in it after snatching mobile phones, he said.

They used to sell the snatched mobile phones to another gang, known as 'Badmash Company', whose members were recently caught by Uttar Pradesh Police and over 1,400 mobile phones were seized from them, the official said.

A driver's mobile phone was snatched by the trio on Mathura Road on February 2. The gang members then headed towards Jangpura in their auto, he said.

The driver raised an alarm, following which head constable Akhilesh, on patrol duty chased the auto and apprehended the trio, the official said.

Four stolen mobile phones were seized from them, Biswal said.

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