Delhi Police busts gangs of women; seizes jewellery, cash worth Rs 1 crore

New Delhi, Dec 3 (PTI) The Delhi Police has busted two separate gangs of women allegedly involved in a series of thefts and snatching from female passengers in elevators and escalators of different railway stations, and seized jewellery, wristwatches and cash worth nearly Rs 1 crore, an officer said on Wednesday.

Police said they have arrested five accused, including a habitual offender with 13 previous cases against her.

"The gang members used to target women who appeared distracted or burdened with bags at railway stations' escalators or elevators. The accused allegedly used the crowd movement inside the elevators or on the escalators to their advantage, removing valuables in seconds without raising suspicion," the senior police officer said.

He said the accused had adopted a highly-coordinated modus operandi.

"Footage collected from more than 100 CCTV cameras was analysed, and technical as well as human intelligence inputs were layered to identify movement patterns, escape routes and frequent hotspots of the accused," the officer said.

Police said stolen property worth nearly Rs 1 crore have been seized from the arrested women. PTI BM RC