MUMBAI: A gang of robbers that stole high-end phones from cars stuck in traffic at D-Mart junction on Link Road in Goregaon has been giving police sleepless nights. A businessman and a CEO of a private firm were the recent victims of the gang that has least seven mobile phone theft complaints registered against it at Bangur Nagar police station. Explaining their modus operandi, police said the ‘Tak-Tak’ (knock-knock) gang would commit their crime after knocking on the glass windows of cars.
On March 6 evening, Prashant Pereira (47), the CEO of a private firm, got stuck in traffic on Link Road while driving home from work in his Innova. “Suddenly a man came out of nowhere, fell on the road, stood up and started knocking on my car window. He claimed that I had hit him and started abusing me. Even as I lowered the glass and pointed out to him that my car was stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, another man started knocking on the front passenger seat window and started abusing me for hitting his friend,” said Pereira.
“As I lowered the passenger seat window and started arguing with the other man, the first man leaned into my car and took my phone kept on the dashboard. I tried to stop him, but he made away with my brand new Samsung Galaxy Edge. Even the other man vanished within seconds,” said Pereira. When Pereira stepped out of the car and started complaining to other motorists, he learnt that the duo had also targeted another motorist a few metres away. Businessman Kamlesh Barot, whose car was also stuck in traffic, complained that two men had fled with his two mobile phones, including an iPhone 7 Plus. Pereira was shocked to see a group of traffic cops, two police sub-inspectors and constables a few metres away.
“We are getting complaints of a gang of boys targeting motorists in the area. Since last week we increased vigilance in the area, but they disappear when police are around. Now, we will deploy cops in plainclothes,” said a police officer.