Eight persons, including six juveniles, who were posing as guests and indulging in snatching offences at various function halls in the twin cities, were arrested by the Cyberabad police on Saturday. Cyberabad police commissioner Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao said eight persons, including the six juveniles, were arrested and 70 tolas of gold and 45 tolas of silver, worth Rs 20 lakh, were recovered from them. Police said Ravi and Gajender, who hail from Madhya Pradesh, brought children from their native place and camped at in Miyapur.
“The modus operandi of the gang was to send neatly dressed children to functions. They used to mingle with the crowd and pretend that they were children of the organisers. In some cases, the children, who were well trained, went to the extent of sitting next to the bride and groom. When they got an opportunity, they used to snatch chains and other valuables,” police said. “These children used to observe movements of relatives.
Once they get a chance, they used to slip gifts into polythene covers and flee from the location. Outside the function hall, Ravi and Gajender would wait to take them away,” police said. Till now, the culprits were involved in offences registered at seven police stations in the city.