Mangaluru: Swift Police Action Leads to Arrest of Notorious Chain Snatchers
Mangaluru: The Crime Branch Crime Investigation (CCB) has successfully apprehended two notorious chain snatchers within 24 hours of a brazen gold chain theft in the Udupi district. The arrested individuals, identified as Habib Hasan (43), and Ummer Shiaf (29), have been linked to a series of similar offenses and are believed to have resumed their criminal activities shortly after being released on bail.
The series of events commenced on December 6, 2024, when Sujina D’Souza, an employee at the Thoudugoli Anganwadi Centre in Naringana village, became a victim of these criminals. At approximately 1:15 PM, two men riding a motorcycle approached the Centre under the pretense of seeking directions to Manjanadi. After their inquiry, they quickly fled the scene, leaving D’Souza shaken and prompting her to report the incident to the Konaje police station.
Just days later, on December 9, Vasanthi, a local woman, was walking home along a public road in Sunkamaru-Manjarapalke, Karkala Rural Police Station jurisdiction, when she too fell prey to the duo. A man and a woman riding on a motorcycle asked her for directions to a resident named Baskar, only to abruptly snatch the gold chain from around her neck and escape. Following this incident, a case was registered at the Karkala Rural police station, intensifying the investigation into these alarming chain-snatching incidents.
In the ensuing days, the CCB engaged in meticulous efforts to collect CCTV footage and gather crucial information relating to the suspects. This investigation led them to identify Habib Hasan and his associate, who had been recently released from judicial custody after being implicated in previous chain-snatching cases in the Moodbidri area. In a significant breakthrough, the CCB’s investigation team swiftly apprehended the accused and recovered a gold chain weighing 17.43 grams, reported stolen in Karkala, along with the motorcycle—a Hero Honda, bearing the registration number KA-19-V-9160—used in the commission of the crime. Additionally, a knife was recovered from Hasan, a disturbing indication of his willingness to resort to violence when confronted by law enforcement.
The accused Habib Hasan has 39 criminal cases, encompassing theft, cattle theft, and numerous chain snatchings across several police jurisdictions including Barke, Moodbidri, Surathkal, Ullal, Konaje, Bajpe, Vitla, Bantwal City, and Karkala Rural police stations. Meanwhile, his accomplice, Ummer Shiaf, was involved in an attempted murder charge and two chain-snatching cases.
The CCB’s rapid response not only led to the arrest of known offenders but also restored a sense of security among the residents of Mangaluru and surrounding areas, exemplifying a collaborative effort to combat the resurgence of crime following the release of previously incarcerated individuals.
