Police ground thief's Delhi-Ahmedabad flight

AHMEDABAD: A member of a gang of four from Delhi which used to fly down to Ahmedabad to commit thefts was arrested on Sunday after the local crime branch received an input that he was in Mahemdavad, Kheda.
Karan Valangia, a resident of Mandi Raghuveer Nagar in New Delhi, was arrested by the local crime branch (LCB) of Zone-1 DCP on Sunday. Head constable Arvind Dahyabhai and constable Madhav Polabhai received a tip-off that Valagia was about to visit Navrangpura with his wife for Diwali shopping. Based on the input, the two cops along with other team members, kept a watch and nabbed him on Sunday.
Sources in the LCB Zone-1 said that Valangia flew down to the city in September and October to commit thefts. He carried out recce in the city to identify secluded places. His modus operandi included travelling in autorickshaws and public transport to con passengers of their gold jewellery.
After stealing the valuables, he would fly back to Delhi. The gang members would stay in the city for four to five days to commit thefts.
Sources in the city police said that his three other aides also frequently flew to other cities to commit offences. As they used to book tickets in advance, the to and fro journey would cost around Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,000 while the valuables stolen would be worth Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh at least.
The accused will be handed over to Vadaj and Sabarmati police where two theft cases have been filed.