New Delhi: A 42-year-old graduate who once worked in a multinational company in Malaysia allegedly traded his overseas job for a life of crime, becoming part of a Tamil Nadu-based gang that travelled over 2,000 km by train to target parked cars across Delhi and steal valuables.The racket was busted earlier this week when Delhi Police arrested two of its members — Gunasekar (42) and his associate Gokul M (27) — from north Delhi. Both hail from Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu.“Gunasekar worked in Malaysia for five-six months and returned to India last year. He has been unemployed since,” an officer said. Gokul studied up to Class XII and is unemployed.The gang came under the scanner after an advocate lodged a complaint alleging his Apple iPad and other valuables had been stolen from his car after its window was smashed while it was parked near a bank in Kamla Nagar on July 9.DCP (North) Raja Banthia formed a team led by sub-inspectors Harshit Apoorva and Vinod Walia to crack the case. Investigators scanned CCTV footage from the crime scene and adjoining areas, where five men were seen loitering around the complainant’s car before fleeing on foot after the theft.“Using CCTV footage and facial recognition, the team identified three suspects, all residents of Tiruchirappalli,” Banthia said.Acting on a tip-off, police laid a trap in Kamla Nagar on Aug 2 and arrested Gunasekar and Gokul. Four laptops, three laptop chargers and a mobile phone, allegedly stolen from Ashok Vihar and Govindpuri, were recovered from them.The suspects claimed Deepak alias Kartik was the kingpin. Police said on July 9, the gang reached Kamla Nagar in two auto-rickshaws, broke the window of a parked car with an iron tool and stole valuables, which were later handed over to Deepak.Police said the gang would travel to Delhi by train to target parked cars, would stay in Delhi for nearly a month, sell the stolen goods and then return to TN by train. After lying low for two-three months, they would return to Delhi to steal again.To avoid detection, gang members would not carry mobile phones, choosing instead to assemble at a tea stall near Nizamuddin railway station at a fixed time before dispersing to different parts of the city. They also told cops they would spend their nights travelling on buses between Delhi and Agra to avoid attracting attention. “They frequently travelled to neighbouring states before returning to Delhi the next morning, making it difficult to trace their movements,” a police officer said.Investigators suspect the gang had been active for many years and may have carried out similar thefts in several states.
