CHENNAI: The police have arrested a four-member gang, including a woman, for targeting passengers in an MTC bus in Chennai and stealing mobile phones. The police seized as many as 14 mobile phones from them.

Otteri police registered a case based on a complaint from two women passengers -- Thilagam (42) and Nirmala (50), who had their phones stolen while travelling in the MTC bus (route no 29A), plying between Purasawalkam and Otteri.

After similar complaints from passengers in the last few days, a special team was formed to trace the suspects. After investigations, the police arrested Palani (36) of Perambur, Kuppan (42) of Maduravoyal, Balu alias Sori Balu (39) of Chennai, and Jamuna (24) of Perambur and recovered the stolen phones from the accused.

The gang targeted and boarded crowded buses and stole phones from unassuming passengers, and later stored them at a separate location before selling them. The police said that the arrested persons already have previous cases. They were produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.