The next time you go for an evening walk or visit a market, a 'policeman' accosts you, chides you for wearing gold ornaments and proffers advice on how to save yourself from chain snatchers just raise an alarm, for the ‘saviour’ could be a chain snatcher himself.
Gangs involved in chain snatching have invented new tricks to fool people and claim to be police officials in civil dress out to save naive citizens from snatchers.
Police have busted a few such gangs working in posh south and west Delhi.
How they steal
According to them, their modus operandi is interesting yet simple as they target women – alone and on foot– in upscale colonies wearing jewellery.
"We have received several complaints. The gangs have been targeting women in posh colonies especially during mornings and evenings. They roam in these colonies in groups of twos and keep a lookout for such victims who walk alone," said a police officer.
Fake policemen
After zeroing on a victim, the men identify themselves as police officials and advise their victim not to wear precious ornaments when they venture outdoors alone citing a surge in the number of chain snatching cases.
The gang members then hand over a handkerchief to the victim and ask her to remove her jewellery and keep it in the hanky with herself.
And as soon as the victim removes her last piece of ornament, another ‘cop’ diverts her attention while the handkerchiefs are cleverly switched.
The victim realises she has been conned only after reaching home. By that time, it is too late.
Forty-five-year-old Sunaina Gupta, a resident of south Delhi's Vasant Kunj, learnt it the hard way.
"I was out on a morning walk when I was approached by two men claiming to be Delhi Police officials. They scolded me for wearing a gold chain, earrings and rings, citing an increase in chain snatching cases," Gupta said.
I put all my jewellery in a hanky given to me by them and the next thing I know is that I was conned, Gupta added.
“I never realised when they switched the hankies," she added.According to police, these gangs hail from Mumbai and are notorious for their activities in several states.
IANS
