Serial chain snatcher who operated on long-distance trains arrested

Police recover 23 gold chains worth ₹13 lakh from accused

May 11, 2019 12:45 am | Updated 12:45 am IST - Mumbai

The Government Railway Police (GRP) have arrested two men who were allegedly behind a series of chain snatching cases on long-distance trains.

The accused have been identified as Mohammad Choudhary (32) and Sabir Sheikh (37). The police have recovered 23 gold chains worth around ₹13 lakh from the accused.

Targeted elderly women

GRP officers said Mr. Choudhary was the main accused and Mr. Sheikh helped him melt the stolen chains and sell them. R. Makandar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central), Government Railway Police (GRP), said, “The accused would target elderly women who stood near toilets at night or early in the morning. He would wait for the train to slow down to snatch the chain and flee.”

Senior officials said that Mr. Choudhary usually operated on trains that plied on Konkan railway. A police official said, “The accused had prior knowledge of areas where the trains would slow down. He would also do a recce of the coaches to zero in on his targets. He would make his move when the victims had to use the washroom or were brushing their teeth.”

Police officials said that they had started working on tracking Mr. Choudhary two months ago. After learning about his whereabouts from informers, the accused was arrested on May 5 from a rented room in Dharavi.

A police officer said, “Mr. Choudhary would leave the city after committing four to five thefts and then return to his home in Ghaziabad. He would not stay in the city for more than a month.” Police officials said that the two accused seemed to have been partners for over five years.

Criminal past

Preliminary investigation also revealed that Mr. Choudhary was a history-sheeter and had served time for assaulting a ticket-checker in Aligarh. Police officials said that the accused had been running the racket for over four years and even had a case registered against him at the Karjat police station.

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