new delhi: Even as Delhi Police boasts a high rate of cracking cases in serious crimes such as murder and robbery, the national capital witnessed an average of 15 snatching incidents every day last year, with snatching and extortion remaining among the least-solved crimes, official data showed.
Police statistics for 2025 show that 5,406 snatching cases were reported in the city, translating to nearly 15 incidents a day, while the solving rate stood at 64.22 per cent.
In comparison, crimes such as murder (95.32 per cent), attempt to murder (98.13 per cent) and robbery (97.51 per cent) recorded significantly higher detection rates, highlighting a stark contrast in policing outcomes.
A similar trend was observed in extortion cases, where only 63.68 per cent of the 212 cases registered last year were solved, making it one of the most challenging crimes for investigators.
Senior police officers said extortion has emerged as a particularly complex offence to crack due to a multi-layered nexus involving jailed gangsters, foreign-based kingpins, encrypted communication platforms and the use of juveniles as shooters.
“Many extortion rackets are being operated from inside jails in Delhi and neighbouring states using smuggled mobile phones. In several cases, the masterminds are sitting abroad and directing operations through Voice Over Internet Protocol calls and encrypted messaging apps, which makes tracing extremely difficult,” the officer said.
The involvement of organised crime syndicates such as the Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar gangs has further complicated the situation, the police said. These gangs allegedly target businessmen, builders and traders, demanding ‘protection money’ and using intimidation tactics to enforce compliance.
Investigators said gangs often recruit teenagers and juveniles from rural pockets of Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi to fire shots at victims’ properties to create fear. “These shooters are usually foot soldiers and have little or no information about the masterminds. Even if they are caught, the larger conspiracy remains difficult to establish,” he said.
Snatching, though far more frequent than extortion, poses a different set of challenges. The police said snatchers typically operate on stolen motorcycles, wear helmets to conceal their identity and strike swiftly, leaving victims with little opportunity to identify them.
Police said stolen gold and mobile phones are quickly destroyed, sold, or smuggled, leaving little evidence. Offenders often flee to neighbouring states, complicating investigations. Snatching is deprioritised compared to serious crimes, but intelligence-led policing and inter-state coordination are being strengthened to improve detection.