Ahmedabad gang arrested for snatching phones, using stored card details for online fraud
Synopsis
An Ahmedabad gang didn't just snatch phones — they used the victims' own saved payment credentials to shop online via Flipkart Minutes before police caught up with them. The LCB Zone-8 team linked CCTV dots across four police station jurisdictions to intercept the trio, recovering 15 stolen devices worth ₹4.66 lakh and cracking seven registered cases in one swoop.
Key Takeaways
Ahmedabad LCB Zone-8 arrested a three-member gang on 3 October for serial mobile snatching and digital payment fraud.
The gang allegedly used saved credit card and bank credentials on stolen phones to buy goods via the Flipkart Minutes app.
Police recovered 15 mobile phones valued at ₹4.66 lakh and two two-wheelers worth ₹80,000 combined.
The arrests helped detect seven cases across Ramol , Narol , Isanpur and Maninagar police stations.
One accused, Mohammad Sharif , had a prior case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Narol police station.
The Local Crime Branch (LCB) of Ahmedabad Police has arrested a three-member gang allegedly involved in snatching mobile phones from night walkers and exploiting saved credit card and bank account credentials on the stolen devices to make fraudulent online purchases, officials said on Saturday, 3 October. The operation by the LCB Zone-8 team led to the recovery of 15 mobile phones and two two-wheelers used in the crimes.
How the Gang Operated
According to police, the accused would ride a Burgman scooter or a Splendor motorcycle after dark, targeting pedestrians on public roads. They would trail their victims before snatching phones from their hands at an opportune moment and fleeing the scene.
Once in possession of the devices, the gang allegedly accessed credit card and bank account information stored on them to place orders through the Flipkart Minutes quick-commerce app, which delivers groceries, daily-use items and other products. Investigators described the operation as a coordinated snatch-and-shop scheme executed across multiple localities.
Who Was Arrested
The three accused have been identified as Harshil Vaghela, 19, a resident of Vatva; Mohammad Sharif alias Babu Mohammad Anish Sheikh, 20, also from Vatva; and Shahidkhan alias Sahu Imrankhan Pathan, 19, of Saiyedwadi in Vatva. Police noted that Mohammad Sharif had a prior case registered against him at Narol police station under Sections 304(2) and 54 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
How Investigators Cracked the Case
Reports of mobile snatching had been coming in over the previous one to one-and-a-half months across areas under Zone-8 jurisdiction, particularly at night. Investigators noticed a pattern: several incidents had occurred along overlapping routes.
Acting on directions from senior officers, the LCB team analysed CCTV footage from incident locations and cross-referenced it with intelligence on individuals previously arrested in similar cases. Technical inputs and human-source information pointed to suspects regularly travelling between New Maninagar and Vastral RTO Road. The team intercepted three men matching the CCTV descriptions while they were on two two-wheelers, and a search of their persons and vehicles yielded the 15 stolen phones.
Seizures and Cases Detected
The recovered mobile phones have been valued at ₹4.66 lakh. Police also seized a white scooter valued at ₹50,000 and a black motorcycle valued at ₹30,000.
The arrests led to the detection of seven mobile-snatching cases registered across Ramol, Narol, Isanpur and Maninagar police stations in Gujarat — comprising four FIRs and three e-FIRs filed under Sections 304(2) and 54 of the BNS. Further investigation is under way.
Point of View
Pattern-based detection is commendable, but the deeper question is one of platform accountability: should apps like Flipkart Minutes flag orders placed on a device that has just changed location or SIM, especially late at night? Until quick-commerce platforms build real-time anomaly detection into their checkout flows, snatched phones will remain a lucrative fraud instrument well beyond Ahmedabad.
NationPress
4 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the Ahmedabad phone-snatching gang do with stolen devices?
The gang allegedly used credit card and bank account credentials stored on the stolen phones to place orders through the Flipkart Minutes app, which delivers groceries and daily-use items. Police said the accused would snatch phones from night walkers and immediately exploit saved payment details before victims could block access.
Who are the three accused arrested by Ahmedabad LCB?
The three accused are Harshil Vaghela (19) of Vatva, Mohammad Sharif alias Babu Mohammad Anish Sheikh (20) of Vatva, and Shahidkhan alias Sahu Imrankhan Pathan (19) of Saiyedwadi, Vatva. Mohammad Sharif reportedly had a prior criminal case at Narol police station under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
How many cases were linked to the gang?
The arrests led to the detection of seven mobile-snatching cases across Ramol, Narol, Isanpur and Maninagar police stations in Gujarat, including four FIRs and three e-FIRs. Police said incidents had been occurring over one to one-and-a-half months before the arrests.
What was recovered from the accused?
Police recovered 15 mobile phones of various makes valued at ₹4.66 lakh, a white scooter worth ₹50,000, and a black motorcycle worth ₹30,000 from the three accused.
How did Ahmedabad Police identify and catch the gang?
LCB Zone-8 investigators analysed CCTV footage from snatching locations and combined it with technical inputs and human-source intelligence. They identified a pattern of the suspects travelling between New Maninagar and Vastral RTO Road, intercepted three men matching the CCTV descriptions on two two-wheelers, and recovered the stolen phones during a search.
