The City Police have nabbed two youths accused in several chain-snatching cases. The arrested were Naveen Suresh, 20, of Melethil House, Valiyavilakam, Kuriathi, Manacaud and Maneesh, 18 of Moonnam Manakkal Chilodu House, Pettah.
The duo was nabbed by the coordinated efforts of the Booster Patrol Wing and Shadow Police, the officials said.
The accused use to roam around on a Pulsar bike with fake registration numbers, the police said. “Their modus operandi was to approach women who walked alone and ask for directions to some place. They used to tamper the number plate with black tape. They also carried a bag for changing shirt after the crime,” the police said.
The cases against the duo include snatching the 3.5 sovereign chain of one Lalithambika at Nemom, 2 sovereign chain of a woman on the Kowdiar-Kuravankonam stretch, 3.5 sovereign chain of a woman on GPO road, 2.5 sovereign chain of a woman at Manchadimoodu and two other cases at Kowdiar and Marayamuttam.
The bike and robbed ornaments were seized by the police.
The investigation monitored by City Police Commissioner H Venkatesh was led by Crime Detachment AC K E Baiju and Control Room AC Bijoy. The team included Control Room CI Suresh Babu, Peroorkada CI R Suresh, Vattiyoorkavu SI Prakash, Control Room ASI Sunil Lal and Shadow Police team members Saju Kumar, Lanju Lal, Harilal, Shamnad, Sanju, Vinod, Saji and Chandrachoodan.