Over the last two decades, there have been several instances of large operations by criminal gangs from other States — predominantly those in north India — in the city and Tamil Nadu. Looting is their primary goal, and their methods range from chain snatching and robbing ATMs to targetting pawn and jewellery stores. Each gang has its own modus operandi, and leaves a tell-tale trail, though apprehending them is still a tall ask, beset with many logistical and practical issues. The Bawaria gang is among the numerous out-of-State criminals which operated in Tamil Nadu, now made infamous by being featured in the movie Dheeran .
Apart from using the conventional modes of transport — trains, buses and lorries — gangs have now begun to fly into the city for an operation, and then fly out with the loot. They plan their exit well, and leave nearly immediately after the crime. Once they go back to their home State, it becomes really tough for local investigators and police personnel to nab them, police sources said.
Soaring crime
Criminal gangs from the north are mainly involved in offences, including murder for gain, robbery, theft, pick pocketing, snatching of mobile phones and gold chains, diverting attention and cheating. Investigators were shocked when they found recently that two persons from Delhi, who were caught last August for chain-snatching, claimed they frequently flew down to the city from Delhi for the purpose of committing robbery. Using a stolen bike, they targeted elderly women, who were on roads at night and snatched 40 sovereigns in a single night in Vepery and Periamedu.
Blending in
Nearly a year ago, a new method of dacoity came to light when a gang of three Nepalese nationals were arrested for the murder of a woman, who was alone at her home on Habibullah Road. The main accused was working as a watchman in the opposite apartment and had been tracking her activities. Four of his accomplices came down from Nepal to aid him in his burglary attempt. The woman was killed when she interrupted their operation.
Hole in the wall
The investigation into the recent burglary of a pawn shop in Kolathur was what took late Maduravoyal inspector S. Periapandi to Rajasthan, where he was murdered by the suspects. The members of the gang are believed to have done a recce of the locality first. Some other members then drilled a hole in the shop later and left with the gold to their hometown. Similar incidents involving holes being drilled into walls were reported thrice in a month in Redhills and Mamandur in Kacheepuram district.
Heavy-duty heist
ATMs have recently become a target of robbers as well. The members of the gangs which target these facilities are usually from Uttar Pradesh or Rajasthan. “They steal a car and drive to the city where they plan an ATM heist. They carry welding machines and cutters with them to open the machine,” says a police source.
In 2012, the city police shot dead five persons from Bihar and West Bengal suspected to be involved in two daring bank robberies in the Velachery area.
The ATM robberies, however, did not stop. A rash of such incidents in the Coimbatore and Namakkal regions recently had the police on their feet but they managed to get hold of the offenders while they were attempting to leave the State.
The Bawaria gang
The Bawaria gangs were active in south India between 1995 and 2005. “They used to come into cities in trucks to supply goods to factories and on their way back, strike at a particular area. They used to hide their weapons, like crowbars and guns, in the truck,” says a police source.
Shaking off pursuers
The Kurava gang from Andhra Pradesh is notorious for a trick used to prevent being tracked. “After committing the burglary, the gang members would usually apply some sort of perfume or defecate on the floor to prevent sniffer dogs from following their trail,” a retired police officer explains.
Sleight of hand
Police say a few Iranian refugees, who live in a settlement in Chandrapur in Maharashtra, are in the forefront of a version of attention-diversion where they impersonate policemen. “Most of their targets are women and the elderly,” an officer adds.
A few months ago, the gang came down to the city and robbed four women in less than 24 hours. Fluent in Tamil, these men approach a woman on the road, warn her of robbers and advise her to keep her jewellery in piece of paper or place it in an envelope. They even help the victim ‘conceal’ the valuables. When the victim returns, she finds the envelope to be filled with stones.
Friendly foes
Criminal gangs specialising in this method target unsuspecting train passengers by offering them biscuits. Gang members board a train, befriend their targets and offer them biscuits laced with sedatives.
After the passengers fainted, they rob them of valuables and flee.
A railway police officer says, “Such crime has decreased since we consistently arrest the gangs involved in the crime and take up continuous awareness campaigns.
Strong-arm tactics
Another group, known as the shutter gang, preferred a more strong-arm approach. During the day, its members would roam the city searching for targets.
At night, they would park a vehicle in front of the shutter of the establishments they identified, most of which were jewellery or pawn shops. Without breaking open the lock, they would use a crowbar to create an opening in the shutter.
A small boy would then enter and bring the valuables. The menace of this gang has been controlled to some extent.
All that glitters..
Recently, a woman from Andhra Pradesh and her husband were arrested near Poonamallee when they tried to sell clay wrapped in gold foil to a shopkeeper. The duo had allegedly approached him, offering to sell a gold bar at a cheap price.
Investigations by the police revealed that they had brought clay and painted it gold to make a quick buck. The police claimed that many residents of the village where the duo hailed from pursued this kind of illegal activity.
Many criminal gangs are on the prowl during the day looking for victims under the guise of selling clothes, carpets and many other items.
