The Delhi Police has arrested two notorious members of the Thak Thak gang who knock on car windows to distract the attention of motorists in order to rob them.
They are a big menace in the national Capital as unsuspecting people keep falling prey to their machinations. Members of the Thak Thak gang frequently change their area of operation and rope in new members for the job.
The two arrested members have been identified as P Silva and P Chandru, both residents of Madangir in South Delhi. Both brothers in their mid 20s were nabbed by the sleuths of South district police with their equipment — engine oil bottle, a catapult and a needle — in their possession. Police have also recovered from them three laptops which were stolen from Shakurpur Basti and Rama Krishna Ashram.
According to Vijay Kumar, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), South district, the gang members were intercepted when a team of Special Staff saw a scooty and signaled its driver to stop but they tried to flee and were nabbed by police team after a brief chase.
“During interrogation both the accused revealed they had committed several such incidents in Delhi and neighbouring areas,” said the DCP, adding one of the criminals would knock on the window of the car and persuade the motorist to come out, citing a problem with the vehicle.
According to senior police official of the Delhi Police, all police stations and district crime units have been asked to keep a close watch on the activities of these gangs. Also there should be electronic surveillance on their activities as they hunt in groups.
“There is a definite pattern in their modus operandi as they keep lurking near busy inter-sections, bridges and even near less frequented places and they strike when those in the vehicles are distracted by their alibis and by the time victims realise what is amiss, they disappear,” said a police official.
“As soon as the car driver stepped out, the other member of the gang would quickly take out valuables from inside the car including laptops. In no time, the gang members would disappear,” said the DCP.
According to Delhi Police, 1,270 cases of snatching have been reported from January 2019 to March 15, 2019 with a minimal rise as compared to last year 1,206 cases till March 15, 2018.