New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Monday announced the arrest of a professional bag lifter gang, which masqueraded as cloth traders during peak hours at railway stations to avoid CCTV detection. Four suspects—Amit Kumar (37), Karan Kumar (27), Gaurav (33), and Punit Mahto (38)—were taken into custody after a detailed investigation.
According to a senior officer, the ring targeted black and blue luggage, following passengers boarding or disembarking trains at crowded hubs. They would stealthily swap stolen suitcases with identical lookalike bags, misleading both surveillance systems and station personnel.
The gang’s most recent heist occurred on July 3, when five bags vanished from coach A‑1 of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra SF Express at New Delhi Railway Station. An FIR was promptly filed, and CCTV footage led investigators to a Paharganj hotel. There, Amit, Karan, and Gaurav—all Bihar residents—were arrested; Punit was later apprehended at Anand Vihar Railway Station.
Officials said the suspects maintained a stock of empty black and blue bags, transferring valuables into their dummies and discarding the originals to minimize risk. This allowed them to enter and exit station premises repeatedly, undetected by both cameras and hotel staff, who saw them carrying the same-coloured luggage.
Recovered items include three trolley bags (two confirmed stolen), four pitthu bags, five handbags, two mobile phones, and ₹47,000 in cash. Mahto was also found with four additional suspected stolen trolleys; his record spans multiple states with narcotics and arms charges.
The gang is believed to have used safe houses near the Badarpur–Faridabad border to stash loot for sale on the grey market. “They were highly organised, frequently changing SIM cards, mobile phones, and identities at hotels to erase their digital trail,” the officer added.
The probe continues to link recovered property to open theft cases and identify other network members.
