Mumbai: Phone snatchers caught waiting for next victim in Juhu

A CCTV grab of the duo fleeing on their two-wheeler that was shown to informers

The Juhu police arrested two mobile phone snatchers within 24 hours of the offence, and seized the scooter they had used to escape after snatching a high-end cellphone from a college student on September 7. The cops caught Prem Devendra, 23, and Prakash alias Akash Gupta, 21, when they came to the same spot the next day to repeat the offence.

Varsha Ashok Valodra, 18, who lives in Vile Parle (East), was returning home from college at 4pm when the bike-borne duo snatched her phone near Amrish Puri Chowk and sped towards VM Road.

"After registering the case, we scrutinised CCTV footage but the duo was captured from behind and the number plate of their bike was also not visible," said a senior officer from Juhu police station.

Senior police inspector PS Wavhal along with detection officer Suryamohan Bolambad, PSI Biradar and ASI Prakash Sawant, who had split into two teams, began a probe. "We took a screen grab of the CCTV footage and showed it to our informers who tipped us off that the snatchers were coming to the same spot to rob another victim.

Our teams arrested them from the spot," the officer said. Devendra would come from Nalasopara to snatch phones in posh areas, while Gupta lives in the slum pocket of Nehru Nagar, Juhu.

Also Read: Mumbai Crime: 2 chain snatchers arrested after high-speed chase in Kashimira

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