The South East Division police on Saturday busted a gang involved in stealing valuables from passengers in BMTC buses. The police have recovered 150 mobile phones worth Rs 25 lakh from the accused.
South East Division DCP CK Baba said that based on a complaint about Rs 50,000 being taken out of the pocket of a passenger in a BMTC bus from his pocket lodged in Suduguntepalya, a special team was formed to deal with the accused.
Mr. Baba said the police team pretended to pick up passengers on buses and tracked suspicious activity for several days, then targeted the gang.
Explaining the modus operandi, the official said the accused Jafar Sadiq (26), his associate Syed Akhil (40) and Mohammad Jawad (35), who are still absconding, used to move around in crowded buses and were carrying mobile phones and valuables. Used to target innocent passengers. for the last six months.
Once they determine the target, the accused use the crowd to surround the victim, lift the valuables and pass it on to their accomplices, who make off before the victim realizes that they have Lost your valuables.
The accused who got off with the valuables soon boarded the autorickshaws of their accomplices who followed the bus. The auto rickshaw carrying the gang members soon reaches their associates who buy the stolen valuables and distribute the loot among the accused.
After careful analysis of the modus operandi of the accused, the police arrested the accused Sadiq Akhil along with Rehman Sharif, 42, Mushtaq Ahmed, 45, Imran Pasha, 34 and Shafiq Ahmed, 38, who were receivers of the stolen property. The gang comprises six others who are currently absconding. Efforts are on to trace them, Mr Baba said.