Thane police would soon get more CCTVs installed at vital locations and ensure clearing of encroachments on footpaths to check growing incidences of chain-snatching, a senior official has said.
Till October 2014, 800 cases of chain-snatching were reported in the commissionerate of which nearly 250 were resolved, Thane Joint Police Commissioner V V Lakshmi Narayana told reporters here last evening.
"We have observed that most of the chain-snatching cases are reported when women walk on roads, which is convenient for the offenders. Hence, it is needed that the footpaths be cleared (of encroachments) to make it free for walking," he said.
"With the assistance of the local civic body, the footpaths would be cleared to allow people to walk freely and safely," he said.
The Thane Crime Unit-I staff recently arrested three persons from the commissionerate area which helped it resolve as many as 155 such offences, the police officer said.
Police recovered gold chains worth around Rs 84 lakhs and weighing 3,350 gms from the three accused, identified as Iqbal Mohammad Sayeed @ Sheru (26), and two jewellers Devisingh @ Devendra Hirasingh Chaddana (20) and Gurupadh Indrakant Das @ Guru (25).
The offenders usually moved around on motorbikes or scooters and after snatching the chains, sold it to jewellers.
Police are on the look out of the other members of the gang which operates in Thane, Navi Mumbai and Mumbai, he said.
