Delhi man takes 200 flights in 110 days, steals lakhs worth of jewelry from passengers

In a startling revelation, Delhi Police have announced the arrest of a 40-year-old man suspected of pilfering jewelry and other valuables from fellow passengers during flights. Identified as Rajesh Kapoor, the accused is alleged to have conducted his thieving spree across at least 200 flights, spanning over 110 days within the past year, according to authorities.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI), Usha Rangnani, addressed the media at a press conference held at the IGI Airport in Delhi, disclosing that Kapoor was apprehended from Paharganj, where authorities claim he stashed his ill-gotten gains. Additionally, another individual, Sharad Jain, aged 46, was also arrested from Karol Bagh, purportedly implicated in the planned purchase of the stolen items.

The police revealed that their pursuit of the culprits was initiated following the report of two separate theft incidents occurring on flights over the last three months. One such incident involved a passenger losing jewelry valued at ₹7 lakh during a flight from Hyderabad to Delhi on April 11. Another theft, reported on February 2, saw a passenger losing jewelry worth ₹20 lakh while traveling from Amritsar to Delhi.

Rangnani explained that meticulous investigation, involving the analysis of CCTV footage from airports in Delhi and Amritsar, as well as scrutinizing flight manifests, led to the identification of a suspect. This individual, observed on both flights where thefts occurred, had provided a fake phone number during booking. However, through technical surveillance, Kapoor's actual phone number was traced, leading to his arrest.

During interrogation, Kapoor reportedly confessed to involvement in five theft cases, including one in Hyderabad. He disclosed that the majority of the stolen cash was squandered on both online and offline gambling activities.

In addition to theft, Kapoor's alleged criminal activities extended to 11 cases, including gambling and criminal breach of trust, with five of them linked to airport-related crimes.

Describing Kapoor's modus operandi, another police official highlighted his penchant for targeting vulnerable passengers, particularly elderly women traveling internationally. Exploiting the habit of such passengers to carry valuables in their handbags, Kapoor strategically chose premium domestic flights, notably Air India and Vistara, bound for destinations like Delhi, Chandigarh, and Hyderabad.

The official elaborated that Kapoor would exploit the chaos of the boarding process, surreptitiously rifling through overhead cabins to steal valuables from unsuspecting victims' handbags while passengers were occupied settling into their seats. In some instances, he even orchestrated seat changes to position himself closer to his targets, taking advantage of the distractions inherent in the boarding process to operate undetected.

To further conceal his identity, Kapoor allegedly resorted to booking tickets under his deceased brother's name, effectively shielding himself from scrutiny by both airlines and law enforcement agencies.