In a major breakthrough against organized crime, the Thane Police have arrested four members of a notorious gang — including two women — effectively solving 29 cases of robbery, chain snatching, vehicle theft, and house break-ins across Thane and Navi Mumbai.
The arrests were made by Crime Branch Unit-3 in Kalyan, delivering a significant blow to criminal networks that had been operating across the region for months.
According to DCP (Crime) Amar Singh Jadhav, the accused are linked to the infamous Irani and Shikalgar gangs. “With this operation, we have successfully solved 29 cases, including one robbery, 20 chain snatching incidents, five motor vehicle thefts, and three housebreakings. We have also recovered gold jewellery, two-wheelers, and cash worth a total of ₹36.29 lakh,” he said.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Wasim Yusuf Ali Sayyad alias Wasim Kala (30), and Kausar Yusuf Ali Jafri alias Bushi (33), both residents of the Irani Masjid area in Indiranagar, Ambivli; and Shivasingh Amirsingh Bawari (25) along with Punamkaur Amirsingh Bawari (37), residents of Khonigaon, Kalyan.
Police said the gang had been active in the region for the past eight months, primarily targeting elderly women wearing gold. Their typical strategy involved swiftly snatching jewellery and fleeing on stolen motorcycles.
The investigation gained momentum following credible intelligence and weeks of technical surveillance. Officers from multiple police units coordinated to monitor the suspects’ movements and identify their hideouts.
“The gang was highly organized, often changing their locations to avoid detection,” Jadhav explained.
Police have also recovered six four-wheeled vehicles believed to have been used during the crimes, further strengthening the evidence against them.
The gang’s activities spanned multiple jurisdictions, with FIRs registered in more than 20 police stations — including Rabodi, Thane Nagar, Wagle Estate, Kapurbawdi, Mumbra, and Kalamboli.
The accused are currently in police custody and undergoing further interrogation. Investigators suspect the group may be linked to additional crimes and are probing possible connections with other criminal syndicates operating in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
