Vijayawada: Increasing cases of chain snatching are posing a challenge to the police in the city.

On Thursday, three such cases were reported from residential colonies in the city raising doubts about security in the city.

Police, who identified the offenders, expedited investigation.

All the three chain snatching incidents occurred in Patamata police station limits.

The first incident happened around 10.32 am at Maruti Co-operative Colony in Gurunanak Nagar. Two persons travelling on a Pulsar byke snatched a 40-gm gold chain from Jhansi Bhai, 50, walking towards the bus stand.

In the second incident near Nirmala Apartments in Srinivasa Nagar Bank Colony, around 11.00 a.m., the same persons who stole a 40-gm gold chain, snatched a 64-gm gold chain belonging to N. Sumathi, 60.

Later, at 11.30 a.m., they also snathced a 72-gm chain of P. Padmaja, 47, at Ramachandra Nagar near Ayush Hospital.