16 robbers who targeted night shift employees in south Delhi caught

In a major crackdown, over 100 personnel from the south district police spread across south Delhi on Sunday night and caught 16 alleged robbers and snatchers, including five minor boys, active at night.

In a major crackdown, over 100 personnel from the south district police spread across south Delhi on Sunday night and caught 16 alleged robbers and snatchers, including five minor boys, active at night.

Three of the 16 robbers caught in south Delhi on Sunday night.

Four countrymade pistols with four cartridges, 11 stolen mobile phones, nine two wheelers, two long knives and R14,500 were recovered in the drive through Sunday night, police said on Tuesday.

Senior police officers said their questioning helped them solve 44 cases of robbery, snatching and motor vehicle thefts reported from different south Delhi areas.

Ishwar Singh, deputy commissioner of police (south), said that in recent weeks, a series of street crimes were reported in south Delhi at night and during early morning hours by criminals riding motorcycles and scooties.

“The criminals mostly targeted passengers travelling in auto-rickshaws, morning walkers and employees of call centres, hotels and malls returning home late in the night,” said Singh.

In order to check such crimes, Singh said, the police studied the routes taken by such criminals, the crimes, pattern and vulnerable areas. The reports were analysed and many measures were adopted.

Some equipment recovered from the robbers.

On the night between Sunday and Monday, over 100 police personnel from different police stations led by ACPs and inspectors put pickets at strategic locations and launched a drive to nab bike-borne robbers and snatchers.

“Intensive vehicle checking by our police teams helped us catch 16 criminals and recover weapons and stolen two-wheelers,” said the DCP.

The arrested persons included members of the Anna gang operating from Dakshinpuri area. They were identified as Arun alias Anna, Anil alias Annu, Mohammad Ali, Nitin, Piyush and two minor boys. They were nabbed by a team of south Delhi’s operation cell led by ACP Rajender Singh and Inspector Vijay Chandel.

Two criminals, Faique and Sanu, were arrested by the Vasant Vihar police while Mohammad Kallu, Rahul, Mahesh, and Vishal, were arrested by the Vasant Kunj south police. Three alleged juvenile snatchers were caught by a team of the Malviya Nagar police station.

Weapons recovered from the 16 robbers and snatchers.