Delhi police bust serial jewellery thief on flights

NEW DELHI - Police in India have arrested a 40-year-old man who took 200 flights in the past 12 months to steal jewellery and other valuables of air passengers.

The Delhi police nabbed the suspect, identified as Rajesh Kapoor, after they launched an investigation into two recent jewellery thefts on different flights.

The man allegedly booked flights on premium domestic services using his dead brother's identity and stole valuables from handbags of mostly female and elderly passengers.

Kapoor used to specialise in stealing from train passengers before discovering that he could do the same on planes.

"He exploited the chaotic boarding process and sifted through the overhead baggage bins, stealing valuables from unlocked bags as passengers settled into their seats," Usha Rangnani, a deputy commissioner of police, was quoted as saying in a Hindustan Times newspaper report on Tuesday.

On several occasions, after selecting his potential victim, Kapoor even got his seat changed to sit near the target, news agency PTI reported, citing another police officer.

Talking about the man's criminal past, Rangnani said the suspect was "very active" between 2007 and 2019 and carried out many thefts.

The man would choose his victims through "behaviour observation" and follow them as they boarded the flight, she told a local news agency.

Kapoor used to sell the stolen jewellery to a jeweller, identified as 46-year-old Sharad Jain, in west Delhi.

Jain, who melted the ornaments to make new jewellery, was also arrested.

Police caught the airline thief after studying airport CCTV footage and passenger manifests.

A large quantity of gold and diamond jewellery was recovered from his house in Paharganj, a central Delhi neighbourhood popular with foreign backpackers. - BERNAMA