A team of policemen in Maharashtra's Palghar district sold fruits and vegetables, drove autorickshaws and posed as homeless persons before arresting an alleged chain-snatcher as they wanted to avoid a confrontation with his community members, an official said on Friday.

Shahuraj Ranaware, senior inspector of Crime Unit III of Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar police, said the team kept a vigil on accused Abbas Amzad Irani (24) in his neighbourhood at Ambivali wearing different attires for a couple of weeks.