Navi Mumbai Crime Branch nabs mobile snatching gang; 29 phones seized

A gang in Navi Mumbai has been busted for snatching mobile phones from pedestrians on bikes. 29 phones were seized and four people have been arrested.

Navi Mumbai: The Crime Branch Unit II in Navi Mumbai busted a newly formed gang that snatched mobile phones from pedestrians on bikes. In a recent operation, 29 mobile phones were seized, and the accused, identified as Bharat Pralhad Rathod,19, Devanand Vishnu Jadhav,19, Deepak Ramesh Rathod,19, and Vaibhav Kisan Jagtap, 24, have been apprehended.

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Utilising CCTV footage and informant networks, the police tracked down the unemployed gang members, who had begun their mobile-snatching spree approximately four months ago. The perpetrators targeted individuals either speaking on the phone or walking with their phones in hand.

Senior Police Inspector Umesh Gavali from Unit II Crime Branch stated, “The gang had not sold any of the stolen phones in the grey market yet. It appears they were still figuring out what to do with the stolen phones.” The seized 29 mobile phones are collectively valued at ₹5.02 lakh. While 17 phones have been reported as stolen, the ownership of the remaining 12 phones remains unknown.

The arrests have led to the opening of cases in various police stations, including Panvel Taluka, Kamothe, Taloja, Panvel City, Khandeshwar, Kalamboli, Kharghar, and CBD Belapur. The accused faces charges under sections 392 (robbery), 379 (theft), and 34 (common intention) of the IPC. They were sent to judicial custody on Monday.