Four held for stealing blue, black bags from railway stations in Delhi; replaced them with similar-looking luggage

The accused in custody of Delhi Police.

The railway unit of Delhi Police on Sunday arrested four members of an interstate gang involved in stealing luggage from crowded railway stations and trains. According to officials, the gang members posed as cloth traders to blend in during peak hours and avoid suspicion while carrying out thefts. Their unique tactic of stealing only black and blue bags helped them stay undetected on CCTV, The New Indian Express reported.

The arrests were made after five bags were allegedly stolen from passengers on the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra SF Express at the New Delhi Railway Station on Thursday. Based on a complaint, an FIR was filed and an investigation was launched.

As per the news agency PTI, the CCTV footage from the railway station was carefully reviewed, and the suspects were tracked down to a hotel in the Paharganj area. Raids were conducted, and three men, Amit Kumar (37), Karan Kumar (27), and Gaurav (33), were arrested. All three are residents of Bihar. Later, another gang member, Punit Mahto, also from Bihar, was arrested at Anand Vihar railway station.

During the investigation, police learned that the gang carefully selected passengers in crowded places, especially those distracted or struggling with luggage while boarding or deboarding trains. They stole only black or blue bags, knowing these colours are very common and would make the stolen bags harder to trace on surveillance footage.

The police recovered 16 stolen bags, two mobile phones, and Rs 47,000 in cash from the accused. Officers said the men stayed in a hotel close to the railway station, where they emptied the bags. They would then return the empty bags to the station and abandon them to confuse the authorities.

They stayed at a hotel near the station, emptied the stolen bags there, and then returned and abandoned them at the railway station. This cycle was repeated to confuse authorities.

“The investigation has revealed that the gang targeted passengers boarding or alighting from trains, especially at crowded stations, and quickly escaped with unattended luggage. Black and blue bags were more prone to theft, as these are common and less noticeable in crowds. The accused exploited this by adopting a deliberate tactic of carrying and exchanging similar-looking black and blue bags to mislead CCTV surveillance and evade detection,” DCP (Railways) KPS Malhotra was quoted by TNIE as saying.

The accused also used other tactics to stay ahead of the police. They frequently changed phones and SIM cards, used fake names, and had hideouts near the Badarpur-Faridabad border where they stored the stolen items.

As per PTI, Amit has a history of targeting railway passengers in Bihar and Delhi, while Punit has been involved in organised crime for over a decade across Bihar, Rajasthan, and Delhi, with a criminal background in narcotics, armed robbery, and organised theft.

The railway unit of Delhi Police on Sunday arrested four members of an interstate gang involved in stealing luggage from crowded railway stations and trains. According to officials, the gang members posed as cloth traders to blend in during peak hours and avoid suspicion while carrying out thefts. Their unique tactic of stealing only black and blue bags helped them stay undetected on CCTV, The New Indian Express reported.

The arrests were made after five bags were allegedly stolen from passengers on the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra SF Express at the New Delhi Railway Station on Thursday. Based on a complaint, an FIR was filed and an investigation was launched.

As per the news agency PTI, the CCTV footage from the railway station was carefully reviewed, and the suspects were tracked down to a hotel in the Paharganj area. Raids were conducted, and three men, Amit Kumar (37), Karan Kumar (27), and Gaurav (33), were arrested. All three are residents of Bihar. Later, another gang member, Punit Mahto, also from Bihar, was arrested at Anand Vihar railway station.

During the investigation, police learned that the gang carefully selected passengers in crowded places, especially those distracted or struggling with luggage while boarding or deboarding trains. They stole only black or blue bags, knowing these colours are very common and would make the stolen bags harder to trace on surveillance footage.

The police recovered 16 stolen bags, two mobile phones, and Rs 47,000 in cash from the accused. Officers said the men stayed in a hotel close to the railway station, where they emptied the bags. They would then return the empty bags to the station and abandon them to confuse the authorities.

They stayed at a hotel near the station, emptied the stolen bags there, and then returned and abandoned them at the railway station. This cycle was repeated to confuse authorities.

“The investigation has revealed that the gang targeted passengers boarding or alighting from trains, especially at crowded stations, and quickly escaped with unattended luggage. Black and blue bags were more prone to theft, as these are common and less noticeable in crowds. The accused exploited this by adopting a deliberate tactic of carrying and exchanging similar-looking black and blue bags to mislead CCTV surveillance and evade detection,” DCP (Railways) KPS Malhotra was quoted by TNIE as saying.

The accused also used other tactics to stay ahead of the police. They frequently changed phones and SIM cards, used fake names, and had hideouts near the Badarpur-Faridabad border where they stored the stolen items.

As per PTI, Amit has a history of targeting railway passengers in Bihar and Delhi, while Punit has been involved in organised crime for over a decade across Bihar, Rajasthan, and Delhi, with a criminal background in narcotics, armed robbery, and organised theft.