Police recover Rs 32.4 lakh gold, arrest snatchers

Anantapur: To curb the rising number of chain-snatching incidents, the Anantapur police arrested four inter-district criminals involved in a series of thefts targeting women. The police recovered 36 tulas of gold jewelry worth ₹32.4 lakhs and three motorcycles from the accused.

According to the Anantapur Rural and 4th Town police, the gang mainly targeted women traveling alone in isolated areas. Investigations revealed that the accused turned to crime after falling into debt due to gambling, online betting, and gaming addictions.

Under the direction of District SP P. Jagadeesh, the arrests were made following a coordinated investigation by CI Shekhar (Anantapur Rural), CI Sainath (4th Town), CI Ismail, CI Jayapal Reddy (CCS), and SI Rajasekhar Reddy (SB), along with their teams.

The arrested individuals inclue, K Pampachari @ Naresh (34), carpenter and driver from Rajeev Colony, Anantapur, who led the gang. Driven by gambling debt, he planned multiple chain snatchings with various partners.

Shaik Shakeer (27), carpenter and furniture shop owner from Royal Nagar. Due to business losses and mounting debts, he joined Pampachari in committing thefts.

Kambham Nagarjuna @ Chinna (24), a driver from Nallamada, currently residing in Sukhadevanagar. He befriended Pampachari and later joined him in chain snatchings to repay debts.

Shaik Fazil Ahmed @ Shaik Fajiz Ahmed (25), a private driver from Priyanka Nagar who operated alone. He disguised himself with a red cap and kerchief to avoid identification while targeting women in less crowded areas.

The gang operated in different combinations, with Pampachari involved in all 16 reported chain-snatching cases. Shakeer was involved in 2 cases, Nagarjuna in 4, and Fazil Ahmed committed 3 cases independently.

The thefts occurred across Kurugunta, Mannila, Rapthadu, Kalyandurgam Road, Ganesh Nagar, Lalitha Nagar, and other localities from 2023 onwards.District SP P Jagadeesh appreciated the efforts of all officers and staff involved for effectively cracking the case and curbing chain-snatching incidents in the region.