IGI Airport Police arrest jewel thief targeting elderly passengers

NEW DELHI: The IGI Delhi Airport Police team has arrested a jewel thief who had been targeting elderly airline passengers for years and arrested a receiver of stolen jewelry.

The police were alerted about the thief through a complaint registered at the IGI Airport Police Station.

The arrested accused are Rajesh Kapoor (40), a resident of Paharganj, Delhi, and Sharad Jain (46), a resident of New Rohtak Road, Karol Bagh.

According to the Police, the accused was arrested following meticulous investigations led by the IGI Airport police.

The accused Kapoor, known for his elusive tactics, had shifted his criminal focus from railways to airlines, targeting elderly female passengers and exploiting the boarding process to carry out his thefts.

The arrest unfolded after a series of complaints were lodged regarding the theft of jewelry worth lakhs of rupees from unsuspecting passengers’ handbags during flights.

One significant case involved Sudharani Pathuri, who reported the theft of jewelry valued at Rs 7 lakh during her flight from Hyderabad to New Delhi on April 11.

The analysis of hundreds of CCTV footage facilitated Kapoor’s arrest.