The Thane Crime Branch (Unit–1) has arrested two habitual chain snatchers and recovered 118 grams of gold jewellery, including seven gold chains valued at Rs14.16 lakh. The main accused has been identified as Wasim Nurmohammed Shaikh (31) of Mumbra-Shilphata, while his accomplice is Yasin Siraj Khamare (22).
Shaikh, a tennis ball cricket player from Navi Mumbai and a local sports champion, is a known history-sheeter with a prior arrest by Andheri police in May. The arrests followed a complaint by a 65-year-old woman who was robbed of her 60-gram gold mangalsutra on December 4 around 11:30 pm, while traveling as a pillion rider in Rabodi police jurisdiction.
Acting on the FIR, Crime Branch Unit-1 conducted technical surveillance and intelligence-based investigations, leading to the arrest of Shaikh and Khamare on December 18. During interrogation, Shaikh admitted that he had turned to crime for quick money, gradually leaving his cricketing pursuits to target elderly women and commuters.
The duo confessed to seven chain snatching incidents across Thane and Navi Mumbai. Authorities also recovered 118 grams of gold jewellery worth Rs14.16 lakh. Records show that Shaikh has a prior chain snatching case in Andheri, while Khamare has one in Vartaknagar. The operation was conducted under the guidance of Senior Police Inspector Sachin Gaikwad and his team.
