Four members of a notorious gang from Maharashtra were arrested on Tuesday for a string of chain-snatching crimes in Bengaluru, including the theft of a senior citizen’s gold chain on Jayamahal Main Road on March 3.

Shahid, the gang’s leader and a repeat offender previously jailed under the MCOCA, had barely been out of prison two months before assembling a fresh team. His accomplices — Shabbir, Tanveer, and Ali Naki — joined him on a criminal spree. They were finally caught in Mysuru, near Bannimantap, allegedly while plotting another robbery.

Their method was calculated. Shahid rode a tampered second-hand bike, while the others followed in a car for rapid escapes. On March 3, they duped an elderly woman by pretending to ask for directions and snatched her gold chain before vanishing.

Police cracked the case after poring through over 150 CCTV feeds, tracking the escape trail to Bagepalli in Chikkaballapura. They discovered the stolen chain was passed to a waiting accomplice in the getaway vehicle.

Further analysis of call records and surveillance data led them to the car’s original owner, which helped trace the gang to their hideout.

Authorities say Shahid’s return to crime was swift and deliberate — a chilling reminder of the risks posed by seasoned offenders who exploit new cities for old crimes.