A gang of three persons, including a couple, who gave residents of Saibaba Colony, Vadavalli and the police sleepless nights, were secured by the Coimbatore City Police on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as R. Sivakumar (30) of Rajiv Gandhi Nagar in Kavundampalayam, his wife Pradeema (28), and their accomplice S. Chandrabose (24) of Velandipalayam, were involved in 13 chain snatching incidents from January 3 to June 21, this year.
They have robbed a total of 66 sovereigns of gold. The accused were reportedly involved in eight cases in Saibaba Colony police station, four in Vadavalli and one in Race Course Police Station limit.
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Sivakumar was arrested in 2011 for his involvement in robberies.
Living in a luxurious house, the lathe workshop owner has rented three houses.
Chandrabose, arrested for the first time, was a snake-catcher.
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Explaining their modus operandi, Deputy Commissioner (Crime) R.V. Ramya Bharathi said that Chandrabose rode the bike with Sivakumar as pillion rider.
They handed over the loot to Pradeema waiting at adjoining streets.
Special teams began hunt for the persons who purchased blue coloured bikes of a particular brand.
Two days ago police constable A. Rangaraj spotted the bike and traced it to the house of Chandrabose. Police arrested him on Tuesday and based on the information he gave, the couple was arrested.