New Delhi: Delhi Police has arrested a 40-year-old man named Rajesh Kapoor for allegedly stealing jewellery and other valuable items from the handbags of fellow passengers aboard various flights. Kapoor took over 200 flights over the past year, spending more than 110 days in transit, to execute his thefts, the police said.
During a press briefing at the IGI Airport, Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI) Usha Rangnani said Kapoor was apprehended from Paharganj, where he purportedly stashed the stolen jewellery, PTI reported.
Further investigation disclosed that he was planning to sell the stolen items to a 46-year-old man, identified as Sharad Jain, who was subsequently arrested from Karol Bagh, she said.
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Explaining how the case was cracked, she said two separate cases of theft occurred on separate flights within the past three months, after which a dedicated team was formed to nab the culprits.
The first incident transpired on April 11, when a passenger reported the loss of jewellery valued at Rs 7 lakh during a journey from Hyderabad to Delhi. The second case was reported on February 2, involving a passenger who lost jewellery items worth Rs 20 lakh while traveling from Amritsar to Delhi.
Kapoor Provided Fake Number
Rangnani said, as part of their investigation, CCTV footage from the Delhi and Amritsar airports and the flight manifests were analysed. They then identified a suspect who was on both the flights where thefts occurred. However, the suspect was found to have provided a fake phone number during booking, which hampered police efforts to trace him, PTI reported.
Following technical surveillance, Kapoor's original phone number was traced, leading to him being apprehended. Upon sustained interrogation, he admitted to his involvement in five similar cases, including one in Hyderabad, police said. He also said he spent most of the spoils on online and offline gambling activities, police added.
Investigations have reportedly revealed Kapoor's involvement in a total of 11 cases, encompassing theft, gambling, and criminal breach of trust, with five of these occurring at airports.
Another police officer revealed that Kapoor's modus operandi involved targeting vulnerable passengers, with a particular focus on elderly women travelling internationally.
"Recognising the tendency of such passengers to carry valuables in their handbags, he strategically travelled on premium domestic flights, notably Air India and Vistara, bound for destinations like Delhi, Chandigarh, and Hyderabad," the officer said.
The officer added that Kapoor "exploited the chaos of boarding to his advantage". He would discreetly search through overhead cabins, "meticulously assessing and stealing valuables from unsuspecting victims' handbags" while the passengers settled into their seats.
Kapoor would also occasionally go as far as seeking a seat change from the airline to sit closer to his intended target, once they had been identified, police said.
To further evade detection, Kapoor allegedly booked tickets under his deceased brother's name, to shield his identity from both airlines and law enforcement agencies.