The Delhi Police have arrested four members of a highly organised gang of bag lifters who disguised themselves as cloth traders to evade detection at railway stations. The accused, Amit Kumar (37), Karan Kumar (27), Gaurav (33), and Punit Mahto (38), were arrested from different locations after a theft on July 3 triggered a detailed investigation.
Modus Operandi: Blend In, Lift Bags, Replace
According to police officials, the gang operated primarily at crowded stations like New Delhi and Anand Vihar. They stole unattended luggage, mostly black or blue trolley bags, and replaced them with identical dummy bags to escape CCTV detection.
“They would enter stations multiple times a day, each time appearing to carry the same luggage, which helped them avoid suspicion,” said a senior police officer. After transferring stolen contents into their dummy bags, they would abandon the originals to reduce evidence trails.
Also Read: 2 Students Killed As School Bus Hits Moving Train In Tamil Nadu
The breakthrough came after five bags were reported missing from coach A-1 of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra SF Express. CCTV footage led police to a hotel in Paharganj, where Amit, Karan, and Gaurav were arrested. Punit was nabbed later at Anand Vihar.
Police recovered three trolley bags (two confirmed stolen), four backpack-style bags, five handbags, two mobile phones, and ₹47,000 in cash. Another four bags were recovered from Mahto, who has a criminal record in narcotics and arms cases across several states.
The gang used safe houses near the Badarpur-Faridabad border and frequently switched SIM cards and aliases to avoid tracking. Police are now working to link the seized items with unsolved theft cases and identify more accomplices in the network.
Also Read: Gopal Khemka Murder Case: Shooter Arrested Days After Patna Businessman’s Killing
