Latur Police Crack Down on Mobile Snatching Gang

Maharashtra's Latur police have uncovered a gang involved in snatching mobile phones, recovering 17 devices valued at Rs 4.57 lakh. Arrests include Vikas Rathod and Prajapati Sonwane, who allegedly prepared stolen phones for resale. Efforts continue to return phones to their rightful owners.

In a significant breakthrough, police in Maharashtra's Latur district have dismantled a gang accused of stealing mobile phones from unsuspecting locals. Authorities have successfully recovered 17 devices, cumulatively worth around Rs 4.57 lakh.

The investigation commenced following a complaint by a 40-year-old resident whose phone, valued at Rs 1.12 lakh, was snatched during his morning walk on January 18th. Leveraging CCTV footage and technical expertise, police arrested Vikas Balu Rathod and Prajapati Murlidhar Sonwane, besides detaining a juvenile accomplice.

Police sources revealed that Sonwane owns a mobile phone shop at Samvidhan Chowk in Latur, where he allegedly unblocked and sanitized the stolen phones for resale. The recovery effort is ongoing to ensure other seized devices are returned to their rightful owners.

(With inputs from agencies.)