Phone thieves prey on distracted walkers

Pedestrians told to be cautious while talking on phones

HYDERABAD, OCT. 28

Since much of our time is spent on tapping messages into mobile phones, playing games on it, or scrolling down news feed even as we walk on the streets, it is easy for prowlers to knock the phone out of our hands and flee with it.

Four such cases were reported in SR Nagar over the weekend. Men on motorbikes have moved on from snatching chains and bags to snatching phones, since it's easier and the victims are mostly caught off guard. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Panjagutta, Vijay Kumar said that two bike borne youngsters snatched four mobiles back-toback and fled the scene.

“The incident happened on Friday midnight, between 12:30 am and 1 am. The crooks snatched the phones of men at SR Nagar bus stop, Ameerpet, and two places in Madhura Nagar. The victims were

Public urged to approach the nearest police station with the device’s bill in case of robbery.

talking on their phones or walking with them,” he said. Closed circuit cameras did not catch the men and the police is probing the case.

Earlier this year, Rachakonda Police arrested 22-year-old K Sai Kiran, and 19-year-old B Arun Kumar for snatching mobile phones from people in colonies. Four mobile phones and a motorbike were recovered from them by the LB Nagar Police.

“They roamed about on the bike and targeted those walking on the streets and speaking on their mobile phones,” said Inspector Ashok Reddy of the LB Nagar police. “When a mobile is snatched or robbed, immediately approach the nearest police station with the device’s bill and the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number for us to start a track and try to locate the device, as the later it gets, the harder it is to track the mobile as the men tend to disassemble it and export the parts,” said a higher official from the Hyderabad city police.