1. Theft of passengers’ valuables on numerous flights in Delhi
2. Arrest made in case of stolen jewellery on Delhi flights.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
Crime news: A 40-year-old man has been apprehended by the Delhi Police for his alleged involvement in the theft of jewellery and other valuables from the handbags of fellow passengers on over 200 flights within a year. The accused, identified as Rajesh Kapoor, embarked on at least 200 flights and spent more than 110 days travelling in the past year to carry out these thefts. He was captured in Paharganj, where he purportedly stashed the stolen jewellery, as stated by Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI) Usha Rangnani during a media briefing at the IGI airport.
Authorities revealed that Kapoor had intentions to vend the stolen items to an accomplice, known as Sharad Jain, aged 46, who was also apprehended in Karol Bagh.
Police Action
The DCP disclosed that two distinct instances of theft were reported on separate flights over the last three months. A dedicated team from the IGI Airport was formed to capture the offenders.
On April 11, a passenger lost jewellery worth Rs 7 lakh while travelling from Hyderabad to Delhi. Another incident occurred on February 2, where a passenger misplaced jewellery items worth Rs 20 lakh while journeying from Amritsar to Delhi.
The police scrutinised CCTV footage from Delhi and Amritsar airports during the investigation and examined the flight manifests. They pinpointed a suspect who was present on both flights where thefts were reported.
The officer stated that the suspect had provided a false phone number while booking with the airlines. However, after conducting technical surveillance, Kapoor’s authentic phone number was traced, leading to his arrest.
Confession and Modus Operandi
Upon interrogation, Kapoor admitted to perpetrating the crime in five instances, including the one in Hyderabad. He confessed to squandering most of the cash on online and offline gambling.
Kapoor was linked to 11 cases of theft, gambling, and criminal breach of trust, with five cases occurring at airports. Another police officer mentioned that Kapoor targeted vulnerable passengers, specifically elderly women travelling internationally.
Method of Operation
“Recognising the susceptibility of such passengers to carry valuables in their handbags, he strategically opted for premium domestic flights, notably Air India and Vistara, heading to destinations like Delhi, Chandigarh, and Hyderabad,” the officer explained.
The officer detailed that during the boarding commotion, Kapoor discreetly rifled through overhead cabins, assessing and pilfering valuables from unsuspecting victims’ handbags while they settled into their seats. He even requested seat changes to sit near his target on several occasions, ensuring his actions went unnoticed.
To avoid detection, Kapoor employed a deceptive tactic of booking tickets under his deceased brother’s name to conceal his identity from both airlines and law enforcement agencies.
(With PTI inputs)
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Man steals passengers jewellery valuables flights year arrested.
