The Thane Crime Branch has achieved a significant breakthrough by arresting two serial chain-snatchers, effectively solving a staggering 52 cases that spanned across Maharashtra and Karnataka. The police have recovered stolen gold jewellery valued at approximately Rs 30 lakh from the accused.
How the Crime Branch Cracked the Case
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 strategic trap in the Ambivli area, successfully apprehending the two suspects.
The individuals taken into custody have been identified as Kasim Garibshaha Irani (38), originally from Irani Vasti in Shrirampur (Ahilyanagar) but currently living in Patilnagar, Ambivli, and Mukhtar Sheru Husain alias Irani (32), a resident of Patil Chawl, Ambivli, Kalyan.
A Trail of Crime Across Two States
During detailed interrogation, the duo reportedly confessed to committing a long series of chain-snatchings and other thefts based on trickery, targeting both men and women. Investigators revealed that their criminal activities left a trail across a wide geography.
Their offences were registered in multiple cities and towns, including:
- Thane city
- Kalyan
- Ambernath
- Badlapur
- Bhiwandi
- Mumbai
- Navi Mumbai
- Various parts of Karnataka
The accused were initially booked at the Kolsewadi police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. A subsequent custodial interrogation proved crucial, leading to the recovery of a substantial cache of gold ornaments.
Extensive Criminal Records and Ongoing Probe
Police officials confirmed that both individuals are habitual offenders with extensive criminal histories. One of the accused is wanted in connection with at least 20 different cases, while the other has 14 cases registered against him at various police stations.
Cases linked to this duo have been filed at numerous police stations, such as Kolsewadi (Kalyan), Hill Line (Ulhasnagar), Badlapur East and West, Ambernath, Kalwa, Kapurbawdi, and Mahatma Phule Chowk. Shockingly, some of these offences were reported as recently as the latter part of 2025.
The investigation, now being spearheaded by Crime Branch Unit-3 in Kalyan, continues. Authorities are working to identify any possible accomplices and locate additional stolen property that may still be unrecovered.
