A Delhi resident's remarkable crime spree included boarding 200 airplanes in only 110 days and quietly stealing jewels worth lakhs from fellow passengers, causing a wave of anxiety in aviation security circles.
In a surprising development, Delhi Police have announced the arrest of a 40-year-old man suspected of stealing jewelry and other valuable items from fellow passengers during flights. The accused, Rajesh Kapoor, is believed to have committed these thefts on over 200 flights in the past year, spanning across 110 days.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI), Usha Rangnani, revealed this information during a press conference held at the IGI Airport in Delhi. Kapoor was apprehended from Paharganj, where authorities suspect he hid the stolen items. Another individual, Sharad Jain, aged 46, was also arrested from Karol Bagh for his alleged involvement in purchasing the stolen goods.
The police began their investigation after two separate theft incidents were reported on flights over the last three months. One incident involved a passenger losing jewelry worth ₹7 lakh during a flight from Hyderabad to Delhi on April 11, while another saw a passenger lose jewelry valued at ₹20 lakh while traveling from Amritsar to Delhi on February 2.
Rangnani explained that the identification of the suspect was made possible through meticulous investigation, which included analyzing CCTV footage from airports in Delhi and Amritsar, as well as examining flight manifests. Kapoor, who provided a fake phone number during booking, was traced through technical surveillance to his actual phone number, leading to his arrest.
During interrogation, Kapoor confessed to being involved in five theft cases, including one in Hyderabad. He admitted to spending most of the stolen money on both online and offline gambling activities.
In addition to theft, Kapoor was allegedly involved in 11 other criminal cases, including gambling and criminal breach of trust, with five of them related to crimes at airports.
According to police officials, Kapoor targeted vulnerable passengers, particularly elderly women traveling internationally, who carried valuables in their handbags. He strategically chose premium domestic flights, such as those operated by Air India and Vistara, bound for destinations like Delhi, Chandigarh, and Hyderabad.
Kapoor would take advantage of the chaos during the boarding process to steal valuables from overhead cabins while passengers were occupied settling into their seats. He even orchestrated seat changes to position himself closer to his targets, exploiting the distractions of the boarding process to operate undetected.
To avoid detection, Kapoor allegedly booked tickets under his deceased brother's name, effectively concealing his identity from airlines and law enforcement agencies.
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