Police inspector lauded for apprehending chain-snatching suspects at Chennai airport

Chennai policemen appreciated for nabbing serial chain snatching suspects at airport 

Greater Chennai City Police Commissioner A. Arun has praised and rewarded the police inspector who swiftly nabbed the suspects in the serial chain-snatching case at Chennai airport, along with other senior officers who coordinated the operation.

Shortly after a series of chain-snatching incidents were reported from six locations in Chennai on Tuesday (March 25, 2025) morning, on the instructions of the Commissioner and under the supervision of Additional Commissioner, South, N. Kannan, vehicle checks were intensified at 56 spots.

Mr. Kannan said, “We came to the conclusion that the suspects must be from other States. The CCTV footage showed two suspects entering the airport. They had changed their clothes but not their shoes.”

The City police alerted all the airlines at Chennai airport and checked counters to see if anyone had come in haste and purchased tickets at the last minute. A staff member of a private airline told the police that two people, matching this description, had come to their counter to fly to Mumbai. One of them was not given the ticket as he did not possess a genuine ID card, while the other man got the ticket in haste. The staffer shared the seat number of that person.

Mr. Kannan said, ”We requested the airport authorities and air traffic control to stop the Mumbai-bound aircraft. It was about to take off and the doors were locked too. Airport Inspector Pandi went inside after the crew opened the door and caught one of the suspects, who was sitting in a different seat to conceal his identity. We had to explain to the other passengers about the suspect and escort him out of the aircraft.”

At the same time, another police team nabbed the other suspect, who was waiting at a check-in counter to catch a flight to Hyderabad. Both were escorted out of the airport at around 10.30 a.m.