16 wanted robbers arrested in outer north Delhi

The Delhi Police has arrested 16 wanted robbers, snatchers and auto-lifters, recovering stolen vehicles, mobile phones, gold jewellery and weapons in a major crackdown on street crime in outer north Delhi, an official said on Tuesday.

The coordinated drive resulted in the solving of two blind robbery cases registered at Narela Industrial Area police station, eight snatching cases, seven motor vehicle theft cases, one attempt to murder case and one Arms Act case, he said.

Among the recoveries are two stolen trucks, seven two-wheelers, one car, 11 mobile phones, three gold articles, two knives and documents. Several habitual offenders with more than 100 cumulative criminal involvements were neutralised during the operation, a senior police officer said.

Four accused, including one juvenile, were apprehended in connection with the robbery of a mobile phone, cash and documents from a man in Metro Vihar on January 3. The accused included a 20-year-old man previously involved in six criminal cases, the police said.

In another robbery case registered on January 4, three minors were apprehended for allegedly threatening a scooter rider with a knife and robbing him of gold jewellery, a mobile phone, cash and his scooter in the Bawana area. The stolen jewellery, scooter and weapon of offence were recovered, the police added.

Police also arrested a notorious robber and bad character from Siraspur under the Arms Act in Bhalswa Dairy after recovering a button-operated knife and a stolen motorcycle. The accused has 29 previous criminal cases against him, police said, adding that his arrest helped crack three more cases, including attempt to murder and snatching.

Several snatching cases were also worked out in Alipur and Samaypur Badli areas with the arrest of repeat offenders and the recovery of stolen mobile phones and motorcycles used in the crimes, the police said.

In separate operations, police busted auto-lifting gangs and recovered multiple stolen vehicles, including trucks and a dumper, from areas under Narela Industrial Area and Swaroop Nagar police stations. Inter-state receivers and drivers involved in transporting stolen heavy vehicles to Haryana and Uttar Pradesh were also arrested, the officer said.

Overall, 10 stolen vehicles, including seven two-wheelers, two trucks and one car, were recovered during the drive, police said, adding that further investigation is underway to trace additional links and receivers.