Thane: Gang of pickpockets, mobile thieves from West Bengal busted

THANE: A gang of pickpockets and mobile thieves from West Bengal — who used to travel down to Mumbai to target railway commuters during festive seasons — was busted by Maharashtra's Thane railway police, officials said on Tuesday.
PSI Ashok Holkar of the Thane railway crime unit said, the gang, led by two kingpins, used to hire freshers from their native land in 24 New Parganas with the lure of easy money and bring them to Mumbai to execute their crime.
The mandate to the recruits by their bosses was to target mobile phones and swollen wallets during festive seasons, said the police.
“The gang used to train people before they executed their jobs at busy Mumbai railway stations. They used to arrive in Mumbai together and later fan out and return home together. The gang, along with its fresh recruits, had landed in Mumbai on November 1 ahead of the Diwali season,” informed Holkar.
The gang was busted when the crime unit personnel were patrolling the railway station on November 4 on Lakshmi pujan when they spotted five people in two separate teams moving suspiciously on the platforms.
“The men started running after seeing us following which we chased and apprehended them. The kingpins managed to escape,” said Holkar.
While five people have been arrested so far, the hunt for the kingpins is on, said the police who are likely to crack a few past cases after their arrest.