Kochi: Luck runs out for chain-snatchers masquerading as cloth traders

KOCHI:  The real face of four women, all natives of Tamil Nadu, who were into ‘cloth trade’ was exposed after the North police on December 3 nabbed them for chain-snatching at St Antony’s shrine at Kaloor. 
They had been staying at a rented house at Thammanam for the past seven years and they could easily convince the house owner that they were into cloth trade. 

Anitha, 57, Sandhya alias Vishala, 34, Ambika, 31, and Lakshmi, 45, used to commit thefts on church and temple premises. Their modus operandi: After committing thefts, the gang used to leave for their native place and sell the loot there. 

But their luck ran out after one of the accused snatched a gold chain weighing over 12 g from a woman who was offering prayers at the shrine at Kaloor on November 22. The woman, a Palluruthy native, lodged a complaint with the police. Though the police could not get any initial lead to zero in on the suspects, CCTV footage of the gang leaving the church premises turned crucial. The women resembled local residents, and no one knew their whereabouts. 

Upon further inquiry, the police also found CCTV images of the gang hiring an autorickshaw from the church premises and proceeding to Thammanam direction. The police also recovered another footage of the gang having soft drinks from a shop. 

“The gang used to snatch chains at crowded places in the city, mainly places of worship. All accused are relatives, and Ambika and Vishala are sisters. They had been staying at Thammanam since 2015. They used to leave for their native place once or twice every month after committing thefts at various locations,” said a police officer.  

The police said the women had been staying in a rented property for the past seven years, paying Rs 6,000 per month. Vishala was involved in a chain-snatching incident at Kodungalloor temple in 2016 and a theft at Vaikom temple in 2021. Ambika was accused in a theft case at Kuthiyathode, the police said. 

The police also recovered a sum of Rs 40,000 from their possession which they got after selling the gold chain snatched from Kaloor, in Tamil Nadu. The accused are currently in judicial custody, and the police have launched a probe to trace their details.

Case diary
This weekly column brings you exciting, intriguing  police stories, straight from  the crime files