In a significant breakthrough, the Thane Crime Branch has apprehended two serial offenders, effectively solving a staggering 52 cases of theft and chain-snatching that spanned across Maharashtra and Karnataka. The police have recovered stolen gold ornaments valued at over Rs 30 lakh from the accused.
Intelligence-Led Operation Nets the Accused
The arrests were the culmination of a focused investigation launched in response to a sharp increase in chain-snatching incidents within Thane city and its neighbouring regions. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, a team from Crime Branch Unit-3 set up a trap in the Ambivli area and successfully captured the two suspects.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Kasim Garibshaha Irani (38), originally from Irani Vasti in Shrirampur (Ahilyanagar) and currently living in Patilnagar, Ambivli, and Mukhtar Sheru Husain, alias Irani (32), a resident of Patil Chawl, Ambivli in Kalyan.
Wide-Ranging Crime Spree Unraveled
During detailed interrogation, the duo reportedly confessed to committing a series of chain-snatchings and executing trickery-based thefts targeting both men and women. Investigators mapped their criminal activities across a vast geography, including Thane city, Kalyan, Ambernath, Badlapur, Bhiwandi, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and several areas in Karnataka.
Initially, a case was registered against them at the Kolsewadi police station under sections 309(4) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. Subsequent custodial interrogation proved crucial, leading to the recovery of a large cache of gold jewellery, whose value is pegged at Rs 30.06 lakh.
Extensive Criminal Records and Ongoing Probe
The investigation revealed that cases linked to this duo are registered at multiple police stations, such as:
- Kolsewadi (Kalyan)
- Hill Line (Ulhasnagar)
- Badlapur East and West
- Ambernath
- Kalwa
- Kapurbawdi
- Mahatma Phule Chowk
Shockingly, some of these offences were reported as recently as the latter part of 2025. Police officials confirmed that both accused are habitual criminals with long histories. One of them is wanted in at least 20 cases, while the other has 14 cases registered against him at various police stations.
The Crime Branch Unit-3 in Kalyan is continuing the investigation to trace possible accomplices and recover more stolen property connected to this widespread criminal network.
