Chandigarh: The Crime Branch of the Chandigarh Police today claimed to have busted a notorious gang of criminals who were allegedly involved in several incidents of chain snatching and auto lifting.

Naman Sehgal and Shubham Sehgal of Jalandhar, both brothers, were arrested by the police, the police said. Gurdeep Singh, a drug peddler, their alleged accomplice, has also been nabbed, they said.

"During the interrogation of these accused it has come to light that they are involved in several cases of gold chain snatching and vehicle lifting from Chandigarh. With their arrest, the Anti Snatching, Robbery and Dacoity detection cell of the Crime branch was able to solve 12 cases including four pertaining to vehicle thefts," a Chandigarh police release said.

The modus operandi of the gang members was that they used to target women pedestrians wearing gold chains or ear rings.

"They usually snatched chains during the day time and immediately after committing the crime they used to go to Mandi Gobindgarh. From there they used to buy narcotics from a drug peddler," the release said.

The snatched chains were handed to the peddlers by the accused and one such chain and stolen motorcycles have also been recovered from this peddler namely Gurdeep Singh, it said. The release said all the accused persons have a tainted past.

"All of them have been arrested in drug cases, motor vehicles theft and snatching cases earlier by the Punjab Police," it said.