Onboard a flight from Hyderabad to Delhi on April 11, a distraught traveler discovered that her jewelry, a whopping Rs 7 lakh worth, had mysteriously vanished into thin air. Rewind to another airborne escapade from Amritsar to Delhi on February 2nd, where another unfortunate soul lost their precious jewels, valued at a staggering Rs 20 lakh.
Two tales of airborne theft, one destination: Delhi. Something seemed fishy, and the Delhi police leaped into action, determined to unveil the jewelry thief lurking in the clouds.
An ‘air-borne’ mastermind
In a plot straight out of a gripping thriller, Delhi Police unveiled the 40-year-old mastermind, Rajesh Kapoor, allegedly behind a spree of mid-air thefts.
During a press conference held at the IGI airport, Rangnani mentioned that a specialised team from IGI Airport was formed to apprehend the perpetrators.
Subsequently, Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI) Usha Rangnani announced the arrest of Kapoor in Paharganj, where he allegedly stored the stolen jewelry.
The officer explained that a suspect came under scrutiny as he was observed on both flights where thefts occurred. Despite providing a false phone number during booking, the airlines managed to obtain his actual contact details. Through technical surveillance, Kapoor’s real phone number was traced, facilitating his apprehension.
Rangnani revealed Kapoor’s intention to sell the stolen goods to Sharad Jain, 46, who was also arrested from Karol Bagh.
Upon interrogation, Kapoor admitted to his involvement in five similar cases, including one in Hyderabad. He confessed to spending the majority of his ill-gotten gains on both online and offline gambling activities.
200 flights, 110 days: How Kapoor manage to steal onboard flights
According to the police, Rajesh Kapoor, the accused, undertook over 200 flights and spent more than 110 days traveling in the past year to carry out his thefts.
Another officer revealed Kapoor’s tactics in targeting vulnerable passengers, especially elderly women.
“Recognising the tendency of such passengers to carry valuables in their handbags, he strategically travelled in premium domestic flights, notably Air India and Vistara, bound for destinations like Delhi, Chandigarh, and Hyderabad,” the officer explained.
Exploiting the chaos during boarding, Kapoor would slyly go through overhead compartments, swiping valuables from unsuspecting victims’ handbags while they settled into their seats.
Kapoor mentioned that on numerous occasions, after identifying his target, he went to the extent of requesting a seat change from the airline to sit near the target.
His strategy, perfectly timed to blend in with the chaos of boarding, allowed him to slip under the radar.
To throw off suspicion, Kapoor also pulled a cunning move by booking tickets under his deceased brother’s name, shielding his true identity from both airlines and the law.
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