Bengaluru: In a major breakthrough, city police busted an interstate mobile thieves gang and recovered 120 cell phones worth over Rs 30 lakh. The gang of women pickpockets operating in the bustling IT-BT areas of Bengaluru was apprehended by the Mahadevpura police officers. Their modus operandi involved preying on unsuspecting female commuters travelling in BMTC buses and stealing their mobile phones.
The gang, consisting of members named Radha, Nandini, Sujata, and Shankaramma, hails from Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. However, upon arriving in Bengaluru, they established a base in Chokkanahalli near Hoskote on the outskirts of the city. From there, they embarked on their criminal activities, targeting BMTC buses known to be heavily frequented by commuters, especially women.
Their strategy was simple yet effective. They would strategically position themselves on the bus routes, often during peak hours when buses were packed with passengers. Under the guise of boarding for urgent matters, they would steal mobile phones from unsuspecting female passengers’ bags.
After snatching the devices, the perpetrators would quickly retreat, making their escape before their victims realised their loss. The stolen mobile phones would be later sold through a contact in Anantapur.
However, their criminal spree came to an abrupt end when the Mahadevpura police station, acting on intelligence and diligent investigation, managed to apprehend the gang members. In a significant seizure, authorities recovered a staggering 120 mobile phones valued at approximately Rs 30 lakh from the accused women.
Police inspector Virupakshappa told Siasat.com that the thieves targeted costly mobiles and sold them to a middleman who is also from Anantpur. “We laid a trap to nab the accused, who sold phones in north India.”
Police swung into action after frequent complaints of phone thefts.
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