Women security staff nab mobile phone thieves at Thane station

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A team of women security personnel caught two persons for allegedly stealing the mobile phone of a suburban train commuter at Maharashtra's Thane station, the government railway police (GRP) said on Saturday.

The two men, identified as Rakesh Dhotale (21) and Prem Dhavale (20) struck when commuters were entering a packed local train on platform number 4 on Friday, GRP said in a statement.

One of the accused grabbed the mobile phone of a rail user, but the commuter raised an alarm, prompting the women security staff on the platform to rush to the spot and nab the duo, said GRP.

The Naupada police here have recovered 98 mobile phones that were either stolen or lost within their jurisdiction recently, an official said earlier. Ganesh Gawde, deputy commissioner of police zone I, Naupada, said the devices have been recovered from across the country.

Also read: Mumbai: Cops recover nearly 800 stolen smartphones in 30 days

The official said they took the help of the Central Equipment Identity Registry (CEIR) to trace the handsets. CEIR acts as a central system for all network operators to share details of blacklisted mobile devices so that devices blacklisted in one network do not work on other networks even if the SIM card is changed.

Earlier on February 10, Shivaji Nagar police nabbed three persons, including a minor for allegedly snatching 15 mobile phones of morning walkers on February 2. The accused rode triple seat and targeted the walkers at Matunga's Five Gardens.

(Compiled with inputs from PTI)