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India crackdown on organised thefts expands

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2026-08-06 09:57 UTC → 2026-08-08 08:34 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The anti‑theft drive that began in June has continued to widen its scope across multiple states. In Bengaluru, police arrested five suspects and recovered ₹85.5 lakh after a June 15 kidnapping‑robbery of a cash‑transport vehicle; a separate kidnapping‑robbery of businessman R I Shiva Shankar netted a total loss of about ₹1.09 crore. Kolkata police opened an investigation after a businessman was abducted and robbed by men posing as CID officers, who stole a gold chain and cash. Delhi’s anti‑snatching cell kept pace, seizing 2,400 stolen phones worth over ₹2.5 crore (Operation Vishwas) and repeatedly arresting phone snatchers, including a 36‑year‑old in Nand Nagri and a 22‑year‑old in Madhu Vihar, recovering dozens of mobiles and a scooter. A major smartphone theft ring in the capital yielded 604 Vivo phones (≈₹1.5 crore) and a parallel expired‑food racket. Mangaluru police captured three suspects in the June 29 highway dacoity that robbed a family of a Swift, gold jewellery and cash, while still hunting 13 accomplices. Delhi Metro and Dehradun investigations recovered jewellery worth about ₹30 lakh from abandoned bags and an Instagram‑linked theft. Home‑burglary cases in Sambhajinagar and Ajmer involving ₹4.6 lakh and ₹1.5 crore of loot were solved through CCTV and technical analysis. A crowd‑driven foiling of an ATM cash‑van robbery on Bangalore’s outskirts prevented the loss of ₹1.79 crore. Gunpoint robberies, such as the ₹17 lakh theft in East Delhi’s Gandhi Nagar market, underscored ongoing cash‑handling risks. High‑value mobile shop raids in Vadodara and Nasik added to the spate of phone thefts. Hyderabad police also dismantled a phone‑snatching gang, recovering 17 phones and a Honda Activa. These actions illustrate a coordinated, multi‑city effort to curb organized theft and related violent crime in India.

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