Thane: Bhiwandi police arrest ‘Irani Gang’ member in chain snatching case

The assets recovered from the accused/ Rajesh Gupta

The Bhiwandi Crime Branch, Unit 2, apprehended an alleged accused involved in chain snatching. Police seized assets worth Rs 23.89 lakh, four mobile phones and three bikes from him on January 3. According to the police, the accused is a member of the 'Irani Gang,' known for snatching gold chains in Thane, Kalyan, and Bhiwandi.

"Based on a tip-off, we arrested the accused Abbas Jafari, 23, from the Shanti Nagar area in Bhiwandi. At least 19 cases have been registered against him, and we recovered 305 grams of gold from him," said Senior PI Sachin Gaikwad.

The accused in police custody/ Rajesh Gupta

The modus operandi of the gang involved reconnoitring the area and then snatching mangalsutras and gold chains from women before fleeing. "Mostly two people would be present on the bike, both wearing helmets. One would ride the bike, and the other would snatch the gold chain and then flee. With Jafari's arrest, we are optimistic about apprehending more alleged accused soon," added Gaikwad.

The police faced challenges in nabbing the accused as he belonged to the Irani Gang. "The operation was carried out strategically, and two police officers were mildly injured as they attempted to nab the accused. We managed to arrest the accused on January 3," said a police officer on condition of anonymity.

According to the police, Jafari had been in jail in 2022 and was out on bail. However, he continued committing the crime. "One case was registered against him in 2021, and other cases were registered in 2023," added Gaikwad. Abbas Jafari is a resident of Shantinagar, Bhiwandi. Nineteen FIRs have been registered across Thane, Badlapur, and Bhiwandi against him.

Rs 23.89L
Worth of the assets recovered from the accused