Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Sep 29: The city crime branch (CCB) police on Tuesday September 29 arrested a notorious chain snatcher who was absconding from two years.

The arrested, identified as Tausif Syed (30), a resident near Jeppu market, is an accused in several cases of chain snatching in various police stations of Dakshina Kannada and Kasargod districts.

The police arrested Tausif near Panambur where they were doing the rounds in the wake of chain snatching cases reported of late in Mangaluru.

In 2013, Tausif along with another accused had come in a bike and snatched a mangalsutra from one Uma S Mendon, who was wearing it and walking along the Mulihitlu Ferry road. Also, in another case reported at Attavar, Tausif and his accomplice had approached a pedestrian named Surprita and on the pretext of asking for directions, had snatched a chain from her neck and sped away in the bike.

This way, Tausif snatched chains from several women on the pretext of asking directions, the police said. Apart from Mangaluru, five cases against him are registered in Ullal, Sullia and Manjeshwar police stations.

The police recently arrested his elder brother Syed Sahil, who used to be Tausif's accomplice in chain snatching. The police had also recovered gold chains from him.

Tausif had gone absconding two years ago. He has now been handed over to Mangaluru south police for further investigations.

The operation was conducted under the directions of police commissioner S Murugan, and guided by DCPs K M Shantaraju and Dr Sanjeev M Patil. CCB inspector Valentine D'Souza led the operation along with PSI Shyamsunder.