A two-member attention diversion gang was caught by the Osmania University police on Saturday. They recovered 18 mobile phones, a motorcycle and Rs. 19,000 cash from them.
The accused – Dorapally Kamalakar (40), an auto-rickshaw driver, and C. Suresh Babu (30), a construction worker, both from Vijayawada – were involved in 23 offences in the city.
Kamalakar and Suresh followed two-wheeler riders for some distance. Once they reached an isolated place, they would tell the motorists that the fork wheel nuts of the vehicle were unfastened and had fallen on the road. “As the vehicle stops, they would pretend to help in repairing the vehicle and relieve the motorists of their belongings,” DCP (East) V. Ravinder said.
They were earlier arrested by the police in Vijayawada and Guntur districts for their involvement in similar offences.
