Deepavali season usually witnesses an influx of petty thieves and robbers into the city, who target shoppers in the busy hubs of T. Nagar and Purasawalkam.
Pickpockets, who are always on the move, are the main threat.
These suspects often manage to beat CCTV cameras and tail their victims till their homes. There are numerous cases of shoppers having their baggage containing expensive jewellery and clothes stolen on a crowded street or while travelling on buses.
Other suspects on the radar of the police are bag-lifters, operating primarily inside CMBT in Koyambedu, and Chennai Central and Egmore railway stations.
Two-wheeler thieves will also be on the prowl, targeting packed parking lots at shopping hubs.
Since Monday, over 650 police personnel have been posted on duty in T. Nagar alone. Decoys, an exclusive control room and three watchtowers covering Usman Road and Ranganathan Street are in place. Police presence is also visible in Purasawalkam, Velachery and Washermanpet.
An exclusive helpline number (9498100176) for T. Nagar will remain active till October 22.
