‘Tak-Tak’ gang stealing from vehicles at traffic signals nabbed

According to officials, the gang used a common trick: approaching a driver at a signal, claiming the car was hit or something had fallen from it, and then stealing mobile phones or valuables while the driver was distracted

​Pune City Police’s Crime Branch Unit 1 on Thursday busted an inter-state ‘Tak-Tak’ (Knock Knock) gang that targeted commuters at traffic signals and crowded junctions by distracting them and stealing valuables from vehicles.

The accused have been identified as Ravi Omprakash Kohli, 38, and Afzal Kayyum Abbasi, 38, both from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The accused have been identified as Ravi Omprakash Kohli, 38, and Afzal Kayyum Abbasi, 38, both from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. They were arrested on Thursday from a lodge in Pune where they were staying, while searches continue for other gang members in connection with a case reported last month at Faraskhana police station.

According to officials, the gang used a common trick: approaching a driver at a signal, claiming the car was hit or something had fallen from it, and then stealing mobile phones or valuables while the driver was distracted.

Ajit Jadhav, police inspector, Crime Branch Unit 1, said, “The accused frequently moved across cities to avoid police detection and often changed vehicles to evade CCTV cameras.”

Acting on a tip-off, police laid a trap near a lodge and detained the suspects.

Sailesh Sankhe, divisional ACP (Crime 1), said the accused were involved in thefts near Karve Road, Kothrud, in February this year, and Vimannagar in August 2025, using the same distraction technique.

The suspects admitted to multiple such offences across Faraskhana, Alankar, and Viman Nagar police station limits.