Thane police have arrested two members of a gang involved in stealing valuables from passengers at railway stations in Thane district and neighboring Mumbai, officials said on Saturday.
The accused, Afzal Ahmed Madari (23) and Mushtaq Najmuddin Madari (21), both from Yeola taluka in Nashik district, were caught after stolen gold jewellery worth Rs10 lakh was recovered.
Senior Police Inspector Vijay Khedkar explained that the gang members would approach unsuspecting passengers at railway stations, engage them in conversation, and then slyly or forcibly remove gold ornaments before fleeing.
One incident involved a senior citizen at Kalyan station, who was approached by the two men while waiting to meet his son-in-law. After gaining his trust through friendly conversation, they forcibly took a gold ring from his finger and escaped.
A complaint lodged at Kalyan GRP Police Station led police to identify a similar theft at Kurla railway station in Mumbai. Examination of CCTV footage confirmed that the same two suspects were involved in both cases.
Following investigations, police traced Afzal and Mushtaq to Nashik, arrested them, and recovered the stolen valuables. Authorities continue to investigate if the duo was involved in other similar thefts across the region.
