‘Slingshot’ robbery gang, which targeted parked vehicles, held

The accused, S Yadhavan (34) of Tiruchy, P Maheshwaran (29) of Karur and S Rajan (41) of Cuddalore, were arrested following information provided by a suspect. After several thefts were reported in and around Anna Nagar, all following similar method, a special team was formed under the supervision of Additional Commissioner (North) H M Jayaram. The breakthrough came after the police secured a suspect. 

According to an officer, the gang targeted cars parked at shopping hubs. “The gang would reach Chennai early morning and use public toilets in CMBT to dress up smartly. During the day, they roamed around banks to rob customers by diverting their attention. After the dusk, they shifted their attention to cars parked near popular eateries and shopping hubs,” he said.

One of them would do a recce and identify the cars that have valuables inside. He would then signal the second person, who would break the window by shooting a small steel ball – used in bearing – from a slingshot. The ball would shatter the window panel, which would make the job easier for the third person, who would take out the valuables, the officer explained. 

“By then, the first person would be ready with an auto-rickshaw and the gang would flee the spot without any trace,” he said. After each successful theft, the gang returned to their hometowns, he added. Even though the accused are school dropouts, they can speak Hindi and English. They often shifted their base to another state to escape police scanner, the officer added.