Surat's police have made a significant breakthrough by capturing a gang that targeted women shoppers in auto rickshaws, especially single women, in a series of robberies. The gang's latest victim was 52-year-old Sunandaben Valya, who was robbed of jewelry and cash worth Rs 18,000 while traveling to the market in Navagam Dindoli area.
The incident unfolded when an auto rickshaw driver and two women passengers duped Sunandaben into believing that goons were after her. They lured her into the rickshaw, took her to a secluded spot, and then robbed her before fleeing the scene.
Sunandaben promptly reported the crime to the Dindoli police station, initiating a swift response from the Crime Branch team. Within hours, the police arrested the main suspect, 32-year-old Mohammad Asfaq, along with his accomplices Memuna Razak Shaikh, Mehmud, Asma Hussain Pathan, and Salma Ahmed Ansari near Maan Darwaza. The police recovered a significant amount of stolen property, including an auto rickshaw, gold jewelry worth Rs 1.17 lakh, 6 mobile phones, and various other items used in their crimes.
Investigations revealed that the gang had been operating for the past six months, targeting single women shoppers by falsely claiming that they were being pursued by criminals. Mohammad Asfaq, the mastermind behind the gang, had a criminal history involving fraud and chain snatching in Bharuch. The gang members were paid two to three thousand rupees for each robbery and often used different women to carry out their criminal activities.
The police have successfully connected the gang to seven robbery cases in Surat, shedding light on their modus operandi and bringing justice to the victims.
