Crime branch arrests ‘Machine’ wanted for robbery since 2018

Shaikh was the leader of a gang, in which the members called him ‘Machine’. Police caught him after tracing his whereabouts to Navi Mumbai, where he had shifted to from South Mumbai and was working as a delivery boy with a food chain company.

Mumbai: The Mumbai crime branch has arrested a 53-year-old man wanted in a robbery case since 2018. The police said that Mehboob Shaikh alias Prashant More was allegedly involved in eight cases of robbery and dacoity registered against him in South Mumbai.

Crime branch arrests ‘Machine’ wanted for robbery since 2018

Shaikh was the leader of a gang, in which the members called him ‘Machine’. Police caught him after tracing his whereabouts to Navi Mumbai, where he had shifted to from South Mumbai and was working as a delivery boy with a food chain company.

Shaikh used to run a gang of six to seven people and they allegedly targetted people in crowded places, especially in Pydhonie, LT Marg and VP Road. He had been hiding in Navi Mumbai since 2018, after he along with his team, robbed ₹2 lakh from one, Narayan Solanki in the jurisdiction of LT Marg police station on April 11, 2018.

In Solanki’s case, the LT Marg police station had arrested five accused, but the main accused Shaikh remained at large. Shaikh used to live in Grant Road but shifted soon after the robbery and started staying in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai.

Explaining Shaikh’s modus operandi, a police officer said that Shaikh used to walk with five to six associates in crowded places in Pydhonie and LT Marg. “They would first identify their target, who are usually those people who carry huge cash. Then three people would start walking with the victim surrounding him from his left, right and behind. After some distance, others would join them,” said Yogesh Chavan, police inspector of unit 2.

“Taking the advantage of the crowd, Shaikh would snatch the bag from the victim and he would pass it to his associates one after another to confuse the victim and meanwhile, one of Shaikh’s associates would flee with the bag,” said Chavan.

There were five cases with similar modus operandi registered in Pydhonie police station against Shaikh and his associates while three cases of robbery were registered in LT Marg police station between 2012, 2015 and 2018. Shaikh shifted from South Mumbai to Navi Mumbai where he was working as a delivery boy with one of the food chain companies, said the officer.

Shaikh was handed over to the LT Marg police station on Thursday evening for further legal process, added the official.