Two held for stealing valuables from passengers at railway stations in Thane, Mumbai

Thane, Sep 27 (PTI) Police have arrested two members of a gang involved in stealing valuables from passengers at railway stations in Thane district and neighbouring Mumbai, an official said on Saturday.

The police have recovered stolen gold jewellery worth Rs 10 lakh from the members of a gang from Nashik, the official said.

"The accused would approach unsuspecting passengers at railway stations, engage them in friendly conversation, and then slyly or forcibly remove their gold ornaments before fleeing. We have now arrested two such criminals and seized stolen valuables," senior police inspector Vijay Khedkar said.

A senior citizen from Thane had arrived at Kalyan station a fortnight ago to meet his son-in-law, and while waiting on the platform, two men approached him, gained his trust by talking for some time, and then forcibly removed a gold ring from his finger before escaping, he said.

Following the complaint at Kalyan GRP Police Station, a similar theft at Kurla railway station in Mumbai came to light.

"Our teams examined CCTV footage from the crime scenes and confirmed that the same two accused were involved in both thefts," the official said.

The police traced the suspects, Afzal Ahmed Madari (23) and Mushtaq Najmuddin Madari (21), to Yeola taluka in Nashik district, and arrested them. PTI COR ARU