Hyderabad Police Apprehend Mobile Snatching Ring Within 24 Hours

Hyderabad: In a swift operation, Mahankali police have dismantled a mobile snatching gang, arresting all four members just 24 hours after a theft complaint was filed near Patny X Roads in Secunderabad.

The incident, registered as Crime No. 88/2026 under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, originated from a complaint filed by Palle Prashanth Kumar, a private sector employee based in Bengaluru. On April 29, while heading towards JBS Bus Station at approximately 6 am, Kumar was accosted by three unidentified individuals riding a black Activa motorcycle who snatched his Samsung phone before escaping. Kumar had traveled to Secunderabad for passport verification work in Nizamabad.

Upon receiving the complaint, police teams initiated immediate search operations and deployed patrol units across the area. Officers analyzed CCTV footage from surrounding locations, which proved instrumental in identifying the culprits. Within 24 hours, three suspects were traced and arrested, with a fourth apprehended subsequently based on confessions from the initial arrests.

The accused have been identified as Nadiga Rakesh, 19, and Mokati Abhinesh, 18, along with two juveniles. All four hail from Neredmet in Medchal-Malkajgiri district. According to investigators, Rakesh was the principal orchestrator of the crimes and coordinated the gang's operations.

The group's criminal activities extended beyond the Patny X Roads incident. On April 27, they stole a two-wheeler in Uppal, which they subsequently used for the mobile snatching operation. Police investigations revealed the gang had also targeted vehicles in Gandhi Nagar and Meerpet, with involvement in eight prior theft cases spanning both Hyderabad and Malkajgiri commissionerates.

During the arrests, authorities recovered three stolen two-wheelers and two mobile phones from the accused. The seized vehicles included Activa motorcycles linked to multiple police station jurisdictions. The operation was conducted under the supervision of senior officials from Secunderabad Zone, with a dedicated police team coordinating the tracking and apprehension efforts.