Cops nab 2 KTM bike gang members who stole 26 phones in 4 hours

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 22

The Delhi Police have arrested two members of a notorious snatching gang, infamously dubbed the KBG (KTM Bike Gang). The duo, who snatched 26 mobile phones in just four hours, reportedly drew inspiration from Bollywood thrillers like Dhoom, officials said on Thursday.

Drew inspiration from Dhoom

• Drew inspiration from Bollywood thrillers like Dhoom. The gang used high-speed bikes to execute their crimes
• One of the accused Asif learnt the art of snatching by watching videos on YouTube, Instagram and Telegram
• To commit their crimes, they would first steal a bike, then use it to carry out snatchings in the early hours
• After committing the crimes, they would go into hiding in remote areas for the next 10-15 days. They would carry out a series of snatching incidents in a single day

Police sources said Shahrukh earlier had an associate named Sameer. However, he is yet to be arrested as police are on the lookout for other members of the gang.

Operating with the same adrenaline-fuelled zeal as the movie characters, the gang used high-speed bikes to execute their crimes with startling efficiency, leaving a trail of victims across the city.

The accused, identified as Shahrukh (24) and Asif (22), are both residents of Shastri Park. The police revealed that they met through Asif’s girlfriend.

An official described their modus operandi as “crime in fashion”. According to the police, “Shahrukh had previously been involved in 23 cases of robbery, snatching and theft. After his release from jail in 2023, he devised a plan to create his own gang.”

Shahrukh was an expert in high-speed bike riding, but he needed an accomplice who could snatch mobile phones with a swiftness that matched his speed. Shahrukh, who studied up to Class IX, had worked in a grocery store in Daryaganj and was also a drug addict. Asif, who also studied up to Class IX, previously worked at a garment factory in Gandhi Nagar.

Shahrukh, a young man with a history of petty crimes, found an unlikely accomplice in Asif, who was desperate for money to fund his relationship with his girlfriend. Their partnership quickly turned into a full-blown criminal enterprise, as Asif learnt the art of snatching by watching videos on social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram and Telegram. They practised their craft in the secluded Yamuna Khadar area of Shastri Park, honing their skills for what would soon become a spree of high-speed thefts, said DCP, Shahdara district, Surendra Chaudhary.

On August 9, in the early morning hours, a chain-snatching incident involving two KTM bike riders targeting a woman on her scooter on the Geeta Colony flyover was reported. Subsequently, a case was registered at the Geeta Colony police station under Sections 304(2) (snatching) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

A police team was formed to investigate this and similar cases.

“The team collected CCTV footage from cameras installed near the scene of the incident. Two riders on a KTM bike, both wearing helmets, were spotted in the footage, and the registration number of the KTM bike was identified,” an official said.

The bike was discovered to be stolen, with a case registered at the Hazrat Nizamuddin police station on May 16.

“The team mapped the escape route of the culprits, analysing footage from over 650 CCTV cameras, eventually tracing the bike to Jagatpur village, where it was seen navigating the narrow streets,” the official added.

After studying the gang’s crime pattern, the police laid a trap during the early morning hours for seven consecutive days, but no clues about the biker gang emerged.

The police then developed on-the-ground intelligence in the Wazirabad area, and on August 19, following a tip-off, both suspects were arrested.

During sustained interrogation, the accused revealed their modus operandi. “To commit their crimes, they would first steal a bike, then use it to carry out snatchings in the early hours. After committing the crimes, they would go into hiding in remote areas for the next 10-15 days. They would carry out a series of snatching incidents in a single day across North, South East, East, Shahdara and North East Delhi,” said the DCP.

“Shahrukh took pride in being called the ‘KBG Champion’ in the criminal world. On August 18, they went on a spree with their stolen KTM bike, snatching 26 mobile phones within four hours from 26 different locations. The accused had planned their next mission, calling it ‘Mission: Ab Tak 56’,” he added.

The next day, as they were on their way to dispose of the stolen property, they were arrested. An official stated that the accused admitted to being involved in more than 100 incidents of chain and mobile phone snatching.

The stolen mobile phones and gold chains were usually sold to Rizwan (40), who was also arrested later. Rizwan, the receiver of the stolen goods, had a criminal history, with six previous cases of murder, violations of the Arms Act and theft. The police recovered two gold chains based on information provided by Rizwan.

Section 112 of the BNS has been imposed on the accused. Officers said Shahrukh was engaged in organised crime, having formed a syndicate with a clear crime pattern, modus operandi and system for disposing of looted gold and mobile phones.