‘Corporate’ style mobile phone thieves given targets, incentives, weekly offs’

Even as the Chennai police had been taking several steps, including installation of nearly 2.5 lakh surveillance cameras, to prevent crimes in the city, it looks like the criminals are coming out with new modus operandi.

The police team stumbled upon the suspect at Flower Bazaar after tracking a particular phone number of a gang member for nearly three months. Other members were nabbed from their place of stay in Sholavaram, on the outskirts of Chennai. “The gang was functioning in a very organised way. They were active for five days and then went t their hometown in Andhra Pradesh for two days. They continued to operate for the next five days,” noted Flower Bazaar deputy commissioner of police S Rajendran.

Police identified the leader of the gang as Ravi, 29, from Vijayawada. He had hired his team members from his village and brought them to Chennai. He had rented a house in Sholavaram and the gang had been staying there for nearly six months, police sources said. Earlier the gang was staying in Avadi and the members had to move from there because local people started suspecting their activities.

The gang was active in most of the crowded places like Koyambedu bus terminus, T Nagar, Tambaram railway station, T Nagar and Flower Bazaar. They never snatched mobile phones from their victims. The gang members had been stealing gadgets. “They used to operate in teams and make sure that the mobile phones changed hands in no time, once the cell phone is stolen,” police said.

Ravi had given a target of three phones per day for his team members. Each one was paid Rs 500 a day. He would also give an incentive of Rs 100 for every extra phone. He would provide food and stay for his team members. If they failed to meet the target, they will not be allowed inside the house on a particular day, police added. Police had seized nearly 40 mobile phones from the suspects and Rs 1 lakh from them. Police noted that it was not clear if Ravi had similar gangs operating somewhere else in the State. Apart from Ravi, police had arrested Rahul Ravi, Venkatesh, Durga, Raji, Nani, Yesu, Sai, Seenu, Rakesh and Allo.