Gang of pickpockets busted

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Sunday said they have busted a gang of pickpockets operating across the city. With the arrest of the four members of the gang, including its kingpin, police claimed to have solved 19 cases. A countrymade pistol and three knives have been recovered from their possession, the police said.

The arrested men were identified as Jitu, the 22-year-old leader of the gang, Jitender (25), Gopal Gupta (22) and Hari Kishan (26). Police said all four are allegedly addicted to liquor and drugs and used to spend the money earned through their crimes on purchasing liquor and drugs.

Ghanshyam Bansal, additional deputy commissioner of police (southeast), said Jitu is an expert in stealing wallets and mobile phones of commuters travelling in buses. “His expertise in stealing earned him the title ‘Machine’ among his gang members. The other gang members — who were known as “thekbaaj” — used to distract the attention of their victims by either pushing them or engaging them in conversations in the moving bus. Jitu used that opportunity in pulling out their wallets or mobile phones,” Bansal maintained.

The police said after receiving information that they were near the Okhla T-point on MehrauliBadarpur Road and were planning to board a bus to target passengers on Friday evening, a team from the Pul Prahladpur police station laid a trap near Kaya Maya bus stop and began checking all buses on the route. The four were arrested during the inspection, the police said.

“A case under Arms Act has been registered,” a police officer said.