Mumbai Police have arrested two alleged members of an interstate gang known as the ‘thak thak gang’ for allegedly stealing mobile phones from vehicles stopped at traffic signals. The arrests have helped police detect six theft cases registered at different police stations across the city, officials said.
The accused, identified as Mohammed Imran Yasin Qureshi, 56, and Islam Nuruddin Qureshi, 42, are residents of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, according to Vakola Police.
The case came to light after a motorist reported that two mobile phones had been stolen from his car at Vakola Junction in Santacruz East.
Phones worth Rs 1.8 lakh stolen at Vakola signal
According to police, the incident took place at around 6.50 pm on September 4, 2026, when the complainant was waiting at a traffic signal with his car.
He had kept two mobile phones on the adjacent seat when an unidentified man knocked on the window on the right side of the vehicle. When the complainant lowered the window to ask what the matter was, another man knocked on the window on the left side.
As the complainant turned his attention towards the first man, the second allegedly stole the phones from the car and fled.
The two stolen devices were each valued at approximately Rs 90,000.
The total value of the stolen property was estimated at Rs 1.8 lakh.
Vakola Police registered a case under Sections 303(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
CCTV footage and facial recognition helped track accused
During the investigation, police examined CCTV footage from the area and identified one of the alleged suspects. Investigators then checked his criminal record and learnt that he was allegedly involved in similar thefts.
Police obtained the suspect’s photograph and checked it through the facial recognition system (FRS). The investigation indicated that he had travelled by local train from Mumbai Central towards Santacruz.
Police subsequently examined footage from around 100 to 200 public and private CCTV cameras near Mumbai Central to trace the suspects’ accommodation.
However, the accused allegedly returned to Meerut soon after committing thefts in Mumbai, making it difficult for investigators to locate them.
Police continued checking photographs through the FRS system and found that the suspects had returned to Mumbai on October 19 and were travelling towards Mumbai Central railway station.
Following further inquiries at dormitories in the Pydhonie area, police traced and arrested the two men.
Six theft cases detected across Mumbai
Police said the arrests helped them detect six cases registered at Vakola, Sahar, Azad Maidan and Sakinaka police stations.
The cases include two registered at Vakola Police Station, two at Sahar Police Station, one at Azad Maidan Police Station and one at Sakinaka Police Station.
The investigation into the case is ongoing. Police said efforts were being made to recover the stolen property.
The operation was carried out by a team from Vakola Police Station under the guidance of senior officers from the Western Region and Zone I, along with the Vakola division and police station leadership.
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