Beware, next time you see an autorickshaw in your vicinity meandering aimlessly. There is a gang of cat burglars who roam in three-wheelers to survey Government colonies and then commit burglaries once they zero in on the target. Cases of house break-ins and burglary are on the rise in the city during the winter months as most residents prefer to spend winter vacation in warmer pastures and thieves take full advantage of this. Investigations have now revealed that several gangs are active in the city and its adjoining areas and have been targeting the residences of Government employees in Sarojini Nagar, Saket, laxmibai Nagar in South Delhi and South-West Delhi. In view of a spate of around 10 house thefts reported in the last one month alone in South Delhi, a special team has been deployed in plainclothes in the area and is looking for a gang that is hyperactive in their area.
Police sources said after investigation, it has come to fore that the accused and their associates belonged to a nomadic tribe from Rajasthan and Haryana. “After arriving in the Capital, they started doing petty jobs such as newspaper vendors, security guards, scrap dealers and vegetable sellers. IT has been found that these burglars rent rooms in slum clusters and the women members of the gang work as maids in nearby neighbourhoods. The men, during the day, conduct recces of the colonies disguised as garbage collectors or scrap dealers,” police sources added.
Investigations revealed that they maintained a watch on the movements of residents of Government colonies and targeted their houses when they were away. Once the house was burgled, they shifted the stolen articles to other members of the gang who took it to their native place. “They mainly target Government colonies and more so in the winter season when the families vacation. They strike at midnight and enter after sawing through window grilles,” police sources said.
Of late, gangs from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and even Bangladesh are operating in the Capital. But no breakthrough has been made as yet. “They steal money and valuables, never cell phones. The Bangladesh gang used to fly to West Bengal after every offence in order to escape police dragnet,” police sources said, adding a few days back, a house break-in was reported from a Government employee house in Saket. The Bangladeshi criminals have managed to get voter ID cards, ration cards and driving licences in Delhi.