THANE: Twenty members of four chain-snatching gangs have been arrested in Thane within a month. In what is unusual for the crime, all have been booked under the stringent MCOCA ( Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act).“This is one of the quickest actions we have taken against criminals. In just 27 days since the first chain-snatcher was arrested, we have been able to invoke MCOCA against all of them. This will make it difficult for them to secure bail,” said additional commissioner of police (east region, Thane) Prataprao Dighaokar on Wednesday.Chain-snatching is usually considered to be low on the pecking order of crime, but has assumed menacing proportions in recent years. In 2016, the state cabinet cleared additional provisions in the Indian Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code to make punishment for the offence more stringent. Now, offenders can be given rigorous imprisonment for two to five years. Also, fine has been increased to Rs 25,000. Similar amendments were made by Punjab in 2010 and Haryana in 2015.One of those arrested in the present case is a woman, Fija Sayyed, whose gang made a huge amount by selling ornaments snatched from women. The police have also booked a 17-year-old, who has around nine cases of chain-snatching against him in Kalyan, Dombivli Ulhasnagar and Ambernath.An officer said that the minor is a history-sheeter, but keeps getting released because of his age. Even he has been booked under MCOCA. An officer said that this will be a deterrant, and now he cannot be easily released from his remand home.

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