Chain Snatching – A new Modus Operandi in Hyderabad

traveloholic · 20th September 2010, 13:26

Always read in the news papers about chain snatching and stuff. But never experienced it in person. Saturday was the day, when I experienced it in person. From being a mere news paper article, I was a victim of it. Chain Snatching seems to have moved to a new league overall. It was nothing short of a shock out of blue.

Been eagerly waiting at Abids X Roads (traffic signal near SBH Bank) to turn Green, when the catastrophe struck. This was at around 9.30, when the traffic isin’t neither thick nor thin. The Traffic was moderate and so was the flow of vehicles. The usual Abids rush was as usual with RTC Busses & Transport Busses running on the road. I was standing near the signal, when a couple of bikes came around and a bike stopped on my left and another on my right. I was busy with my concentration on the road and had no one as pillion to speak to. This is my usual self, when I am alone.

The moment of cruising ahead was a few seconds away as the signal on the other side of the road turned Amber form Green and Red from Amber. Those few seconds of Amberness proved costly. As is the usual case, when we expect the signal to turn green, our hands always are on the accelerator and the moment it turns green, we rev away to happiness and cruising. This is what I was about to do.

With my hands on the accelerator, I was waiting for the signal to turn green, when out of nowhere, a bike zooms pass by leaving a gash on my wrist. Even before I could realize what happened, they were vrooming away with my gold bracelet, which had adorned my wrist for ages. No Number, Blank Number Plate, Black colored Yamaha FZ was all I could see. I rushed ahead to catch hold of them & they took a turn onto the All Saints School Road & vanished in thin air. This road leads to various areas and has a zillion of arterial roads leading to different areas. Calculated the whole length and breadth of the area & roads hoping to see them there. I know, it was my folly but there’s always hope, which never dies.

Dejected and depressed at the loss, I reach PS to file a complaint. Was given to understand that this is fourth case in the last 10 days, where in people have lost bracelets at these X Roads.

The Modus Operandi I feel was, notice someone from behind about what he does all the time & when the time is right, vroom ahead and hook the bracelet using index finger as hook and vroom pass by. Even if it fails, the chain will only fall down but the accused would be far away from getting caught. The Hooked Index Finger does give the person a good change to create a strong hold on the chain and a mere pull would ensure that the hook of the bracelet unhooks.

Chain Snatching – A new Modus Operandi in Hyderabad-index-finger-hook.jpg

*I took this image off the net to explain how this could have been done.

Someone can ask me, why only index finger but they can always use thier hand and snatch it. I feel the hand would not give them the much needed grip as compared to a hooked index finger.

This gash would always remind me of what happened this fateful day.

Just wanted to share my experience with everyone and ensure that you do not fall a victim to this thing.

A couple of things i've learnt the hard way

Always stand with your arms folded at the traffic signals
Wait for the signal to turn green before starting to drive
The person behind can wait for a second or two. It is far better than losing something valuable

NFS · 20th September 2010, 13:44

Sorry for whatever happened. I hope you escaped unhurt in this process!

Oh man, what to do with these cheats? I would like to add to your to do items, is to avoid wearing such gold jewelery that attract strangers. Man where is this country going to?

bblost · 20th September 2010, 13:49

That is very sad.

The only thing of value on my person is the laptop bag. On my bike its strapped on to me. In my car I run the seat belt thru the strap.

himanshugoswami · 20th September 2010, 13:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by bblost

That is very sad.

The only thing of value on my person is the laptop bag. On my bike its strapped on to me. In my car I run the seat belt thru the strap.

Thats a very smart thing to do and very logical.....wonder why I never thought of this?

aargee · 20th September 2010, 13:55

Sorry to hear your loss @Traveloholic; but Thank you immensely for sharing & warning us for this incident.

Chain snatching with ladies used to be quite popular (and still, but controlled) here in Chennai, but not much with gents. What you've shared with us is definitely a new modulus of operation.

From my point of view, Gold is getting to be more of an asset rather than an ornament these days. So, wear them on special occasions with utter care & for the rest, use imitations.

Pray you get your precious ornament back.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bblost

In my car I run the seat belt thru the strap.

Quote:

Originally Posted by himanshugoswami

Thats a very smart thing to do and very logical.....wonder why I never thought of this?

But, isn't it sufficient to lock the doors with A/C turned ON? Why should I still strap it on to the seat belts? Or is it strapped only when the windows are down?

On motorcycle, I use my backpack & zip it in such a way that, if something needs to be pulled out, both the zips has to be opened; its actually like the one in the picture. Also in the signals I keep a watch out in the RVMs & my surroundings including the signal.

traveloholic · 20th September 2010, 14:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by NFS

Sorry for whatever happened. I hope you escaped unhurt in this process!?

Yup! I escaped unhurt but with a good gash on my wrist due to the sudden jolt I received due to the bracelet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bblost

That is very sad.

BBlost, I would say. Masab Tank Signal isn't no less. These things happen frequently. So, its always better to be safe. Hyderabad is turning nutorious offlate. Chain Snatchings, Phone Snatchings and now this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aargee

Sorry to hear your loss @Traveloholic; but Thank you immensely for sharing & warning us for this incident

Keep yourselves aware about what's going around you. As I mentioned, it's always better to be safe.

bblost · 20th September 2010, 14:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by aargee

But, isn't it sufficient to lock the doors with A/C turned ON? Why should I still strap it on to the seat belts? Or is it strapped only when the windows are down?

AC on or off depending on the music I am playing.

Its just an old habit. I prefer driving with windows down. As soon as I encounter a little traffic, I roll up the windows and switch on the AC. It stays on till I am clear of traffic.

vnabhi · 20th September 2010, 14:13

Sorry to hear about this incident, Nikhil. Man, it is scary indeed! Those thugs are getting daring by the day. And thanks for sharing it with us. I'll ask my 2-wheeler owning friends to be careful.

I never wear any ornaments--not even a ring. All that I have is my watch--one that is not very costly.

@Himanshu--I think you can keep the laptop in the boot--I read it online in my prior company's safety policy that it is safer there. The only exceptions is when you are visiting shopping malls that have security checks.

On hatchbacks, I'll follow bblost's suggestion henceforth. Till now I used to keep the laptop in the front passenger seat, and used to meticulously lock the doors manually when they get unlocked at traffic signals when i switch off the ignition.

arcotsrinivas · 20th September 2010, 15:40

My friend faced a similar situation but this time it was his mobile which was on the car dashboard,Climate being cool He rolled down the front windows and was waiting at jubilee hills check post when the suddenly heard a thud kind of a sound on his dicky when he turned and looked through the rear glass there was no one but in the mean time a kid ran away with his Sony Ericsson's p910 tried to chase him but to no avail.

mobike008 · 20th September 2010, 16:21

Sorry to know about the incident Nikhil. These guys now have guts to take on with guys too..huh?

Anyways, i am not too worried because me and my wife are not fond of gold at all and we dont wear them at all. My mom? She is exactly the opposite

I am in car 99% of the times and keep the laptop at rear floor ( never on seat) and have a concern only with my i10 which has a central locking which opens when i put the handbrake at signals. That's a bit risky!

Btw, how many tolas?

traveloholic · 20th September 2010, 16:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by mobike008

Sorry to know about the incident Nikhil. These guys now have guts to take on with guys too..huh?

Times have changed offlate. Abids has become a haven of Speed Biking Chain Snatching/Mobile Snatching Crimes. FleetMaster lost his mobile to one such incident about 6 months ago at Abids, near Brand Factory.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mobike008

Anyways, i am not too worried because me and my wife are not fond of gold at all and we dont wear them at all. My mom? She is exactly the opposite

I don't like wearing that much. Very rarely do I wear it. This time I wore it & I lost it

Quote:

Originally Posted by mobike008

Btw, how many tolas?

2 Tolas :(

Judemayne · 20th September 2010, 17:09

Dear Nikhil,
I am really sorry that you lost your bracelet which has sentimental value but I am of the opinion as to others who have replied-why wear gold or costly ornaments which is visible. Forget ladies but I see men with thick gold chains around their necks with their shirt button opened till their navels?? You are inviting trouble. Ladies going for evening walks with a No. of chains -in Bangalore-I see them very often, whenever my wife and I go for our stroll.
Take care and I pray that you get lucky and retrieve the same
Regards,

Col J H Mayne

unoczar · 21st September 2010, 09:02

sorry to hear about this. What bike you ride? i wish you'd chased them down!

Recently, my mom was returning home in an auto. The rider on a black pulsar (no plates!) was apparently following her from ravindra bharti signal. As soon as the auto turned left from amrutha castle X rds, the guy bent down and snatched her hand bag. This particular section is empty since the road is barricaded from the other side. Saifabad PS says 5th such complaint!

Non-sense!

esteem_lover · 21st September 2010, 09:48

Sorry for your loss, but chasing them down is not the wisest thing to do. Number 1, you risk riding rashly and causing yourself and others more harm. 2, what are you going to do when you catch up with them. DO not expect public sympathy or help, these are hardened criminals and will attack or will make the public believe you are the criminal.

Reisender · 21st September 2010, 10:50

Too bad. New techniques been implemented everywhere makes it easy for them.

hope they nail the gango and get your bracelet back.

Take care.

20th September 2010, 13:26	#1
traveloholic BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: TrafficJamaBad earlier known as Hyd Posts: 750 Thanked: 238 Times	Chain Snatching – A new Modus Operandi in Hyderabad Always read in the news papers about chain snatching and stuff. But never experienced it in person. Saturday was the day, when I experienced it in person. From being a mere news paper article, I was a victim of it. Chain Snatching seems to have moved to a new league overall. It was nothing short of a shock out of blue. Been eagerly waiting at Abids X Roads (traffic signal near SBH Bank) to turn Green, when the catastrophe struck. This was at around 9.30, when the traffic isin’t neither thick nor thin. The Traffic was moderate and so was the flow of vehicles. The usual Abids rush was as usual with RTC Busses & Transport Busses running on the road. I was standing near the signal, when a couple of bikes came around and a bike stopped on my left and another on my right. I was busy with my concentration on the road and had no one as pillion to speak to. This is my usual self, when I am alone. The moment of cruising ahead was a few seconds away as the signal on the other side of the road turned Amber form Green and Red from Amber. Those few seconds of Amberness proved costly. As is the usual case, when we expect the signal to turn green, our hands always are on the accelerator and the moment it turns green, we rev away to happiness and cruising. This is what I was about to do. With my hands on the accelerator, I was waiting for the signal to turn green, when out of nowhere, a bike zooms pass by leaving a gash on my wrist. Even before I could realize what happened, they were vrooming away with my gold bracelet, which had adorned my wrist for ages. No Number, Blank Number Plate, Black colored Yamaha FZ was all I could see. I rushed ahead to catch hold of them & they took a turn onto the All Saints School Road & vanished in thin air. This road leads to various areas and has a zillion of arterial roads leading to different areas. Calculated the whole length and breadth of the area & roads hoping to see them there. I know, it was my folly but there’s always hope, which never dies. Dejected and depressed at the loss, I reach PS to file a complaint. Was given to understand that this is fourth case in the last 10 days, where in people have lost bracelets at these X Roads. The Modus Operandi I feel was, notice someone from behind about what he does all the time & when the time is right, vroom ahead and hook the bracelet using index finger as hook and vroom pass by. Even if it fails, the chain will only fall down but the accused would be far away from getting caught. The Hooked Index Finger does give the person a good change to create a strong hold on the chain and a mere pull would ensure that the hook of the bracelet unhooks. I took this image off the net to explain how this could have been done. Someone can ask me, why only index finger but they can always use thier hand and snatch it. I feel the hand would not give them the much needed grip as compared to a hooked index finger. This gash would always remind me of what happened this fateful day. Just wanted to share my experience with everyone and ensure that you do not fall a victim to this thing. A couple of things i've learnt the hard way* Always stand with your arms folded at the traffic signals Wait for the signal to turn green before starting to drive The person behind can wait for a second or two. It is far better than losing something valuable
	() Thanks

20th September 2010, 13:44	#2
NFS BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Chennai Posts: 185 Thanked: 7 Times View My Garage	Sorry for whatever happened. I hope you escaped unhurt in this process! Oh man, what to do with these cheats? I would like to add to your to do items, is to avoid wearing such gold jewelery that attract strangers. Man where is this country going to?
	() Thanks

20th September 2010, 13:49	#3
bblost Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 11,295 Thanked: 17,995 Times View My Garage	That is very sad. The only thing of value on my person is the laptop bag. On my bike its strapped on to me. In my car I run the seat belt thru the strap.
	() Thanks

20th September 2010, 14:13	#8
vnabhi Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: DC -> DC Posts: 5,999 Thanked: 2,428 Times View My Garage	Sorry to hear about this incident, Nikhil. Man, it is scary indeed! Those thugs are getting daring by the day. And thanks for sharing it with us. I'll ask my 2-wheeler owning friends to be careful. I never wear any ornaments--not even a ring. All that I have is my watch--one that is not very costly. @Himanshu--I think you can keep the laptop in the boot--I read it online in my prior company's safety policy that it is safer there. The only exceptions is when you are visiting shopping malls that have security checks. On hatchbacks, I'll follow bblost's suggestion henceforth. Till now I used to keep the laptop in the front passenger seat, and used to meticulously lock the doors manually when they get unlocked at traffic signals when i switch off the ignition.
	() Thanks

20th September 2010, 15:40	#9
arcotsrinivas BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 65 Thanked: 96 Times View My Garage	My friend faced a similar situation but this time it was his mobile which was on the car dashboard,Climate being cool He rolled down the front windows and was waiting at jubilee hills check post when the suddenly heard a thud kind of a sound on his dicky when he turned and looked through the rear glass there was no one but in the mean time a kid ran away with his Sony Ericsson's p910 tried to chase him but to no avail.
	() Thanks

20th September 2010, 16:21	#10
mobike008 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 11,998 Thanked: 17,124 Times View My Garage	Sorry to know about the incident Nikhil. These guys now have guts to take on with guys too..huh? Anyways, i am not too worried because me and my wife are not fond of gold at all and we dont wear them at all. My mom? She is exactly the opposite I am in car 99% of the times and keep the laptop at rear floor ( never on seat) and have a concern only with my i10 which has a central locking which opens when i put the handbrake at signals. That's a bit risky! Btw, how many tolas?
	() Thanks

20th September 2010, 17:09	#12
Judemayne BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 316 Thanked: 109 Times	Dear Nikhil, I am really sorry that you lost your bracelet which has sentimental value but I am of the opinion as to others who have replied-why wear gold or costly ornaments which is visible. Forget ladies but I see men with thick gold chains around their necks with their shirt button opened till their navels?? You are inviting trouble. Ladies going for evening walks with a No. of chains -in Bangalore-I see them very often, whenever my wife and I go for our stroll. Take care and I pray that you get lucky and retrieve the same Regards, Col J H Mayne
	() Thanks

21st September 2010, 09:02	#13
unoczar BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 553 Thanked: 416 Times	sorry to hear about this. What bike you ride? i wish you'd chased them down! Recently, my mom was returning home in an auto. The rider on a black pulsar (no plates!) was apparently following her from ravindra bharti signal. As soon as the auto turned left from amrutha castle X rds, the guy bent down and snatched her hand bag. This particular section is empty since the road is barricaded from the other side. Saifabad PS says 5th such complaint! Non-sense!
	() Thanks

21st September 2010, 09:48	#14
esteem_lover Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Madras/Py Posts: 7,556 Thanked: 513 Times View My Garage	Sorry for your loss, but chasing them down is not the wisest thing to do. Number 1, you risk riding rashly and causing yourself and others more harm. 2, what are you going to do when you catch up with them. DO not expect public sympathy or help, these are hardened criminals and will attack or will make the public believe you are the criminal.
	() Thanks

21st September 2010, 10:50	#15
Reisender BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Atlanta, USA ; Chennai India Posts: 159 Thanked: 64 Times	Too bad. New techniques been implemented everywhere makes it easy for them. hope they nail the gango and get your bracelet back. Take care.
	() Thanks