Delhi: Delhi Police detained a 40-year-old man on suspicion of robbing fellow travelers of goods during flights. Rajesh Kapoor, the accused, allegedly boarded more than 200 flights and flew for at least 110 days in the previous year to steal in-flight.
Usha Rangnani, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI), disclosed to a press conference held at the IGI airport that he was taken into custody in Paharganj, where he was found to have hidden the stolen jewelry. She further mentioned that Sharad Jain, a 46-year-old buddy of Rajesh Kapoor, whom he intended to sell the stolen goods to, had been detained by the police.
According to DCP during the press conference, the authorities established a probe team to investigate the matter after two distinct incidents were reported from two flights in the previous three months.
Five of the eleven cases he was engaged in occurred at the airport. The elderly were the thief’s primary target, according to a PTI report, because they were more likely to carry their belongings in their handbags. He would specifically target Air India and Vistara passengers, deemed susceptible when traveling domestically.
Once he had his sights set on someone, he would swap out his seat in the airplane for one close to his target. He sometimes pulled off successful robbing by scheduling his operation to coincide with the diversions. According to the PTI story, the police officer claimed that Kapoor is connected to eleven theft cases, some of which involve gambling and illegal breaches of trust.
On the flights, he would sneak a peek through the cabin ceiling, capitalizing on the chaos surrounding aircraft boarding. He tried to avoid detection by purchasing tickets using the name of his brother, who had passed away, hoping to conceal his identity from airlines and police officials.
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