Father caught for using minor sons to steal $7,200 from Uzbekistan national

NEW DELHI: A father of two minor children has been arrested by Delhi Police for allegedly using them to carry out a theft, with officers recovering 98.36 per cent of the stolen foreign currency belonging to an Uzbekistan national in the Jama Masjid area of central Delhi.

The case was registered on January 15 at Jama Masjid Police Station after the complainant reported that USD 7,200 — comprising 72 notes of USD 100 denomination — had been stolen from his sling bag while he was visiting the Jama Masjid market with his family. He had been carrying the cash as he did not wish to leave a substantial amount of foreign currency in his hotel. The victim had travelled to India for his daughter’s cancer treatment.

Treating the matter as sensitive due to the medical emergency and the complainant’s foreign nationality, police launched an immediate probe. A team led by SHO Inspector Adesh Prakash, under the supervision of ACP Daryaganj, examined CCTV footage from multiple cameras and relied on technical surveillance and field intelligence to identify two juveniles, aged 15 and 13, from New Seelampur.

Further investigation revealed that the boys were allegedly acting at the behest of their father, who was identified as the mastermind and subsequently arrested. During interrogation, he is said to have confessed to deploying his minor children to commit theft while retaining the stolen money himself to avoid suspicion.

Police recovered USD 7,082 of the stolen USD 7,200, along with USD 6,500 in cash, an ATM card, Rs 4,700 in Indian currency, and a mobile phone allegedly purchased using the stolen funds. The accused was previously involved in a robbery case, and the juveniles were also linked to earlier theft incidents. Police said the swift recovery underscored effective teamwork and the use of technical investigation.