Ganjam: In a major crackdown Wednesday night, Ganjam police busted an inter-state mobile phone snatching gang and arrested nine persons in this connection. The gang members were arrested during a routine patrolling which was being carried out on NH-16 in this district.
According to a police source, the nine arrested are history-sheeters and were previously involved in a number of mobile phone snatchings incidents that targeted elderly persons in crowded areas.
During patrolling, the local police team intercepted an auto-rickshaw. Following a thorough search, police seized the three-wheeler, a country-made revolver with three cartridges, three bombs, swords and iron rods along with 32 stolen mobile phones.
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Berhampur sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Bishnu Pati said that eight of the arrested belong to Sahibganj district of neighbouring Jharkhand and one hails from Bhubaneswar. The snatchers had been staying at a hotel in Bhubaneswar for the last several days. They had come to Berhampur July 17 to commit crime, Pati added.
As many as 10 out of the 32 seized mobile phones were snatched from different areas of Berhampur and Hinjili between July 17 and 18. Police have registered a case in this connection and launched a probe which is underway to find out involvement of others, if any, Pati informed.
PNN