As cases see first upswing after pandemic, cops warn public to beware in the coming months, even as they step up efforts to nab dangerous street criminals
This year the city has seen a 60 per cent increase in chain-snatching incidents in the first eight months
As the city is celebrating all festivals in full glory after a gap of two years, the menace of chain-snatching has again raised its ugly head. Cops said events like the recently concluded Ganeshotsav, Bandra fair, and upcoming ones like Navratri and Diwali where Mumbaikars come out into the streets in numbers attract snatchers. In addition, bail given to hardened criminals during the pandemic has also led to the rise in chain-snatching cases. mid-day has procured a list and photos of 26 professional snatchers with criminal histories, so that Mumbaikars can beware.
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This year the city has seen a 60 per cent increase in chain-snatching incidents in the first eight months. And this figure does not include the number of such cases reported during Ganeshotsav or the Bandra fair. The cases are likely to rise further during the upcoming festivals like Navratri, Diwali, as well as the wedding season.
Also read: Maharashtra: Teen girl detained, woman held for chain snatching in Nagpur
In numbers
In the first 8 months of this year, there were 143 cases of chain snatching, including 12 reported last month, in Mumbai. Of these, only 107 have been solved. Cops said efforts are on to solve the rest. During the corresponding period last year, there were 94 such cases across the city, of which 61 were solved by August, as per data from the Mumbai Police.
Apart from busy roads and festivals, railway premises are another playing field for these criminals. Data from the Government Railway Police (GRP), Mumbai, showed that 28 cases of chain-snatching took place in the Central Zone and 25 cases were reported in the Western Zone till August.
GRP personnel deployed in the Central region have solved only 14 cases while the Western region GRP cops have solved 18 cases till August. As per the official data, the total worth of property snatched in Central zone till August is R18.1 lakh and that in Western Zone is over Rs 13.19 lakh.
The last two year’s data from GRP Mumbai revealed that 43 and 47 cases of chain-snatching were registered in Central Zone; whereas 27 and 19 cases in Western Zone in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
GRP has asked its personnel to be alert and keep tabs on the 26 snatchers, all of whom are involved in multiple cases. A GRP officer told mid-day that some of these criminals were arrested while the rest are wanted. Of those arrested, some are also out on bail.
“Under the guidance of Railway Commissioner Quaiser Khalid, we have succeeded in reducing incidents of snatching in local trains due to the careful monitoring of GRP officers and continuous patrolling,” he added.
Preventive measures
After the rise of chain-snatching gangs in the early 2010s, cops took strategic moves to deal with this menace. The efforts included enhancing police presence on roads, mapping vulnerable areas in the city, application of section 392 (robbery) of the IPC instead of section 379 (theft) as it is harder to get bail under robbery charges. In addition, Mumbai Police had also started slapping the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) on snatchers. Even cops used to be pulled out for such cases in their jurisdiction.
This year, Mumbai Police have kept a watch on the movements of history-sheeters. “Gang members generally come from Ambivli and enter the city via toll naka. So, the documents of all vehicles, specially two-wheelers, at all the entry points of Mumbai including Dahisar toll naka are being checked. We have also enhanced the police presence around vulnerable points like parks, educational institutions and religious places,” said Somnath Gharge, DCP (Zone XII), Mumbai police.
These moves along with the narrowing of city roads due to the ongoing Metro construction works helped the cops tackle the problem and arrest snatchers. However, the decision to grant bail to most criminals during the COVID-19 pandemic in a bid to decongest prisons poured cold water on cops as the criminals were now out and about. Now, with the rise in cases again, many police officers are unhappy.
Smart cons
A police officer said, “Most members of chain snatching gangs are aged below 35. During the pandemic, they have toned up their bodies so they can escape from cops and the public.” He added that the criminals have also become smarter as they now recce areas to check for CCTV cameras.
“They read newspapers, watch crime serials to know the tricks used in police investigations to arrest them. In many cases, it has been learnt that the criminals try not to repeat the mistakes which led to their arrest. Nowadays both bike-borne snatchers and their helpers also wear helmets so that their faces are not captured in CCTV footage,” said the officer.
He added, “Motorcycles play a vital role in the crime. But they always use stolen vehicles or use false number plates to dodge police. Snatchers also steal high-speed bikes as it aids them to make a quick escape.”
Last month, a team from Kasturba Marg police station arrested two accused, including Zafar Irani, in a chain snatching case in Ambivli. A cop said, “Zafar would use a stolen superbike to enter Mumbai and disappear from the crime scene in no minutes. He would park the getaway bike near a railway station and then take his own bike home. After 3-4 days of observation, we nabbed a person named Feroz who was given R1,000 by Zafar to take out the getaway bike from the parking area near Ambivli station.”
Cops’ woe
“Many criminals including chain-snatchers were released from jail during the pandemic. After coming out of jail, they honed their skills and worked on new modus operandi to dodge police,” said an officer attached to Oshiwara police station.
An officer from Bandra police station said, “We risked our lives to arrest an accused but they were released from the jail during the pandemic. Those criminals who were released, they did nothing but to become fit and learn more tricks.”
143
No of chain-snatching cases reported till August
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