Mobile phones becoming prime target for snatchers

New Delhi: In Delhi, it seems that mobile phones are now the prime target of the snatchers. In the span of few minutes, crooks are snatching the cell phone from person's hand. Delhi Police investigators said that the stolen phones are either being dismantled and their parts are sold separately or IMEI being tampered to avoid tracking down.

According to the police official, during the interrogation of the snatchers, they have found that to fulfil drug lust, accused sold costly mobile phones in between Rs 2,000-5,000. "Snatchers do not have a fixed number of targets. Less crowded areas, wide roads are the preferable spot for the miscreants to commit the crime. They can easily flee the place after committing the crime," added the officer.

Police sources told Millennium Post that in a recent meeting with top brass, Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik reviewed the status of 165 anti snatching teams in the city. The assessment was conducted on the recovery of case properties from snatchers. "Six districts of Delhi Police recovered more than 390 mobile phones," sources said.

The other case properties include more than 70 ornaments, over 100 vehicles, purse, weapons, sim cards, cheque books.

Another official, elaborating more on modus operandi, said that investigation in the cases of chain snatching revealed that mostly professional snatchers are involved in the crime.

"During chain snatching, there are chances that the victim can resist. Possibilities are also there that the miscreants are not being able to snatch the chain. People have also started wearing artificial jewellery so snatchers will not get any money even after snatching it," said investigators.

Additional PRO Anil Mittal said that to curb street crime, Delhi Police has launched Raftaar and all women patrols in vulnerable areas. Anti snatching teams are now functioning in all police stations.

According to Delhi Police data, almost 95 percent involved in street crime are first-timers.

Disposal

According to police, with the help of software, accused change the IMEI numbers of phones, making it near impossible to be tracked. "After changing the IMEI, phones are either sent to other countries or sold in the grey market," an officer added.

In some cases where it is impossible to change the IMEI, the miscreants sold separate parts of the mobile to the shopkeepers. In July, North Delhi Police arrested two persons in Wazirabad area. Accused were running mobile repairing shop and they were installing the stolen mobile parts on the customer's phone who gave their phone for repairing.

An official further said that snatchers also sell the stolen phone to railway and bus passengers so that the stolen phones go to other states and the chances of their recovery become less.

In a recent meeting between the top brass of Delhi Police, it was revealed that more than 65 criminals committed crime after coming out of jail. There is a need for a stringent law.