4 snatchers held by cops

Accused addicted to drugs

In a major breakthrough, the Rachakonda police on Monday nabbed four members of a chain-snatchers gang who had been targeting women and causing panic in LB Nagar neighbourhood. They include three engineering students and a college dropout.

The gang was involved in 18 robberies committed in a span of three months.

The suspects used to borrow bikes from friends to commit the offences. One of the suspects is the son of a police constable.

The arrested — Chavan Suraj, Kommu Pavan Kumar, Mohd Owais Ahmed and Mamidi Rohit Kumar — are addicted to ganja, alcohol and a lavish lifestyle. They took to snatching and to maintain their lifestyle.

More than a month ago, the four were apprehended by patrolling teams who found them moving about suspiciously, but they got away by showing their student identity cards.

After detaining them on Monday, police showed the CCTV footage of different cases they were involved in, after which they confessed to their involvement in the offences.

All four were found to have attended drug deaddiction counselling.

Rachakonda police commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat said that all the suspects were detained from their college campuses.

“They are involved in nine snatching cases in LB Nagar, five in Saroornagar, two in Chaitanyapuri and one each in Meerpet and Vanasthalipuram. Gold weighing 540 gm worth `17 lakh was recovered.