Chain snatchers in the city are prowl with cases of snatching being reported every passing day. In most cases, youngsters targeted women in quiet lanes in the evening hours.
A majority of chain snatching incidents have taken place during afternoon and late evening hours when it is difficult to identify the snatchers. Snatchers grab the victims from the back and snatch their chains, earrings and other ornaments and escape from the scene within seconds.
They specially target the women who pass through a deserted areas.
However, the police have started taking initiative to increase vigil. In a breakthrough, the police arrested three criminals, including a dreaded criminal from Mango and Jugsalai police station areas. Those arrested belonged to two separate gangs of criminals who used commit loot, chain-snatching and looting the bank customers at various places in the city.
The arrested persons were identified as Arman Baccha, a resident of Cross Road No 2 in Azadnagar, Mohammed Feku, resident of Carriage Colony, Burmamines and Vishwakarma Ram, a resident of Bagbera Colony, Bagbera.
The police have recovered a loaded revolver, two live cartridges of .32 bore, a stolen motorcycle, ATM card and driving license from the possession of those arrested.
Senior Superintendent of Police Amol V Homkar said that acting on a tip off a police team raided the house of Mohammed Jallal and nabbed his son Arman Baccha (26). Arman is a dreaded criminal and was wanted in connection to the robbery cases registered with the Chaibasa police station and RIT police station in in West Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan districts and also in an Arms Act case registered with the Azadnagar police station.
“Areas like Sakchi Bistupur main road, railway station, Kadma Sonari link road are more prone to such cases. The gang ride up to the victim in their motorcycle and ask for directions. At a convenient time they commit the crime and flee the scene,” said a police official. He said that the police department has decided to increase vigil in those areas and night patrolling will be intensified.
In Jugsalai, a police team nabbed two bike-borne criminals who were heading for committing crime. The bikers, Mohammed Feku and Vishwakarma Ram, could not give satisfactory response to the police team, which subsequently searched the duo and recovered a loaded revolver and two live cartridges from their possession.
According to the senior SP, on being interrogated the two confessed that they would commit snatching of gold chain from the neck of the women at residential areas like Kadma, Sakchi, Bistupur and Jugsalai, and would also loot the people who return from banks having withdrawn money.
The SSP pointed out that the police were trying to find out if any more member is also involved in the chain-snatching and looting of bank customers.