Title - Chain snatching gang busted

They are flown down to the state from the nation’s capital with a mission - snatch chains within 5 km of the city, return by train and hand over the booty to their ‘boss’.Meet the two young men the city police arrested on Sunday, suspected to be part of an inter-state chain snatching gang based in New Delhi.According to City Police Commissioner G Sparjan Kumar, separate teams comprising two men each have been flown down to Kerala by the operator in Delhi for snatching gold chains, and each team would return by train after the operation.Mohammed Shakkil, 30, and Noushad Ali, 24, of Ghaziabad, who were flown to the state last week, were caught by the locals while attempting to snatch a woman’s gold chain at Chettikulam near here. On interrogation, the police found that they were operating in Kozhikode as per directions of a Delhi-based man named Haji Sony and got information that several such teams have been operating across the state for the past two years.According to the Commissioner, both these men came to Kozhikode on March 12 and were staying at various hotels as jewellery designers. “They used to travel on motorbikes, which would be parked at parking lots, mainly near the railway station. Before getting caught, they snatched three chains within the limits of the Nallalam and Elathur

Police stations. It was their second visit to Kozhikode,” he said. The city police have slapped 11 cases against the two men. The police said the suspects were following a cinema style modus operandi. “Usually,

They would be concentrating on areas within 10 km in and around the city. After snatching five to six chains, the team would return to their

Native place by train. The two-wheeler will be parked at the railway station. Once they reach Delhi and hand over the ornaments and the key, the ‘boss’ would assign another team to the state. None of these teams knew each other and they were given half the value of the stolen items as remuneration,” the commissioner said. The police have seized gold ornaments worth 7 sovereigns from the accused and have taken their motor cycle, which is registered in Uttar Pradesh, into custody. On interrogation, they got information that two more motorbikes registered

In New Delhi were used for similar purposes in the state. The suspects were later produced before the court and were remanded.