Arif, 34, a native of Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh, and Faisal, 28, from Delhi’s Shastri Vihar, met while serving time at Tihar Jail. Behind those high-security walls, the duo formed not only a bond but a criminal blueprint. Once released, they would head south, to Kerala, and carry out a concentrated string of thefts.
On May 28, they boarded a train from New Delhi to Kochi. What made Kerala an attractive destination, they later admitted during interrogation, was the perception that people here, especially women, wore gold ornaments regularly, even on daily commutes. The monsoon season added to the duo’s advantage.
By morning, the two arrived at Aluva railway station. Without delay, they stole a black Yamaha FZ motorcycle parked nearby and began scouring the roads. The first hit came quickly, at Companypady. A woman on her way to work, umbrella in hand, was wearing a chain. In a blink, the bike pulled up next to her, and the chain was snatched before she could even process what was happening.
The woman, shocked and panicked, reached out to the Aluva police around 8.15am. Officers rushed to the spot and began scanning CCTV footage in the area.
“The way the crime was committed — clean and confident — told us these weren’t first-timers,” says a police officer involved in the investigation.
At 9am, as the officers regrouped at Aluva station, word came in: another chain snatching had occurred at Palaprasery under Chengamanad police limits. Then, another incident was reported from Mekkad, followed by one from an area near Nedumbassery. Finally, there was a failed attempt at Desom. Within just 90 minutes, four confirmed snatchings and one attempted theft.
Soon, Ernakulam Rural Police Chief M Hemalatha mobilised a coordinated response. Officers from Aluva, Chengamanad, and Nedumbassery stations were alerted. “Based on the timing and locations of the crimes, we assumed the suspects were returning to Aluva via Desom,” says an officer.
The police teams were strategically deployed, one at Aluva Bypass Road, another at Thottakkattukara, and a third at Seminarypady. The team at Seminarypady first spotted the black Yamaha FZ with two riders matching the suspects’ description coming from the opposite side. They immediately signalled the alert to others.
“Hearing this, the team at Thottakkattukara activated the red signal light and blocked all traffic at the junction. Realising they were being tailed, the suspects tried to flee. But before they could even place the motorcycle on its stand and attempt an escape, officers at Thottakkattukara pounced. Soon, both Arif and Faisal were pinned and taken into custody,” the officer says.
The real surprise came after the helmets were removed. “Given how confidently they moved through the area, we were certain that the accused were from Kerala. But apparently, it was their first visit to the state,” said an officer.
The duo confessed that their plan was to reach early, commit as many thefts as possible by noon, and board the return train to Delhi. But the police response time was faster. The entire operation — from the first crime to their arrest — wrapped up in just two-and-a-half hours.
During interrogation, they revealed that their targets were specifically women walking alone, preferably those headed to work.
This isn’t the first time Kerala has attracted non-local theft gangs. A few years ago, a gang from a North Indian state was arrested in Ajmer in a similar theft spree in Aluva.
Like Arif and Faisal, they too had cited the state’s widespread gold culture as a motive. In the recent spree, two of the chains snatched turned out to be imitation gold.
Police Chief M Hemalatha awarded certificates of appreciation to the officers involved in the chase and capture.
Those honoured include DYSP T R Rajesh, Inspectors M M Manju Das and Sony Mathai, Sub-Inspectors K Nandakumar, S S Sreelal, B M Chithuji, Sujo George Antony, R Binsi, T Anoop, ASIs K A Noushad and Vijayakrishnan, Senior CPO K A Noufal, and CPOs K I Shihab, Sirajudeen, K M Manoj, Shibin Thomas, Ajitha Thilakan, N A Mohammed Ameer, and Mahinsha Abubacker.